Before the hustle and bustle of winter break, comes the most dreaded time of the year for high school students nationwide: midterms.

Though students want nothing more than to focus on their dreams of sleeping all day and celebrating the holiday season, midterms are something that cannot be ignored. The best way to head into your break is with good grades and a clear mind, therefore, being exam ready is essential.

The following are some easy tips to help you get a head start on your studying, and the confidence to begin break knowing you aced those pesky midterms.  

According to topuniversities.com, the top ten ways to “give yourself the best chance” on exams include:

1. “Giving yourself enough time to study” Cramming all night will not help you retain any extra information, plus, you need sleep!
2. “Organize your study space” Keeping your study space clean and papers organized. Also, get rid of any distractions so you can focus longer.
3. “Use flow charts and diagrams” Re-writing or re-organizing your information can help you to retain more facts.
4. “Practice on old exams” This will help you to know what to expect on the future exam, mostly in terms of formatting. This can also help to train yourself to spend the right amount of time in each section.
5. “Explain your answers to others” Helping a friend by tutoring them can not only help them to better understand the material, but will help you to better comprehend it too!
6. “Organize study groups with friends” Working with peers from your class is proven to be beneficial because you all know what is covered in class, and can easily fill in any gaps any of your peers might have experienced in the lesson.
7. “Take regular breaks” Your brain can only understand so much information, so it is best to study for 45 minutes, then take a 10 minute break to ensure maximum retention.
8. “Stack on brain food” Eating healthy foods, and keeping away from junk food will keep not only your body, but also your mind well-fueled. Foods that aid in memory and concentration include fish, nuts, seeds, yogurt and blueberries. As always, eat a good breakfast and drink lots of water!

These tips are guaranteed to get you one step closer to getting a perfect score on that upcoming exam and being able to rest easy over winter break.