It’s that time of year again: midterms.

The dreaded middle of the semester when every student starts to feel like they might as well live in the library.

While school work should be a top priority, your health and well-being should also be at the top of the list.

This is not the time to eat junk, not sleep, drink too much caffeine or neglect the gym.

You will end up feeling even more exhausted than you already do.

A few tips that may help you get there though this time:

Sleep.

Your body needs it. After a couple of nights with little to no sleep, you will eventually crash.

Also, your brain retains what you have learned while studying when you are sleeping.

It is crucial to make sure that you are getting in 7-9 hours each night.

Cut out the junk food.

Yes, it is so much easier to grab a bag of chips or run through a fast food restaurant, but try as hard as you can to resist.

The cleaner you eat, the better you will feel.

Use the weekends as a time to grocery shop and meal prep. For example, buy a lot of chicken and grill enough to have around for the entire week so you can quickly go home, grab it and run back out the door.

Also, make sure to have plenty of fresh fruit around. Cut it up so that it is ready to eat and you won’t find your hand digging into the candy jar.

Find time to eat.

Many people get so stressed and bogged down with their work that they actually forget to eat.

If you are one of these people, make sure you are fueling your body properly.

You need the energy from food. If you find yourself feeling lethargic or droopy, chances are you may not have been paying attention to proper nutrition.

Take healthy snacks with you.

If you know it is going to me a really long day, pack a protein bar or some almonds.

A great tag along snack is an apple with a mini peanut butter snack pack.

Be careful not to over-do it on the caffeine consumption.

Coffee is great in the mornings and is a perfect way to get your brain flowing, but one cup is probably all you need.

Try to stick to regular coffee with a splash of milk and stevia. Many of those yummy lattees we all love and adore have way too much sugar in them and will cause you to crash later in the day.

If you find yourself getting sleepy in the afternoon, grab a green tea. Green tea has a ton of healthy antioxidants and just enough caffeine to keep you awake.

Stay hydrated.

This is important. If you start to feel drowsy and kind of fuzzy, you are probably dehydrated.

Water is the best way to fix this.

Find time to sweat.

If all you have time for is a 30 minute morning walk or a 15 minute afternoon jog: do it.

Better yet, take your study materials with you to the gym and do the elliptical or the bike lightly. Anything to get your blood flowing.

Make a schedule.

If you know you have a crazy week of midterms, papers and tests, schedule out your day by the hour.

This will ease your brain and will make you feel so much better. It is possible to get everything done in one day if you are really proactive about it.

During this time of year, it is crucial to make sure that you are planning out times for eating, sleeping and sweating.