As spring break gets closer and closer, doing schoolwork may seem irrelevant as you excitedly wonder what you will do during this week of freedom. However, it is essential to acknowledge the days leading up to it and the responsibilities you must complete before enjoying your break, but not to worry, because I have a few easy ways that I personally use that you can use to stay productive during this upcoming week so you can prevent that feeling of dread when you realize that everything you procrastinated on has to be worked on during your break when you very well had plenty of time beforehand to complete it.
Time Blocking
You’d be surprised by how much time you have in just one day. Taking advantage of this and clearly setting tasks and assignments during set times can help you visualize exactly how much work you need to get done and how much time it will take you to do so. Also, you can change your schedule to whatever will fit your learning style the best. For example, if you tend to work better earlier in the day, set those specific hours to work on tasks that require the most brain power and vice versa. Once you can effectively manage your time, you will become less overwhelmed, and therefore, you can enjoy your free time better.
Prioritize!!
When you first gather a list of everything you need to complete before the break, try to list them from most to least important. Figure out which assignments must be done immediately and which can be pushed aside until later. This will make it so that if you do not have enough time to complete everything, you can rest easy knowing that the most critical and complex tasks are out of the way.
Get Rid of Distractions
While trying to complete mundane tasks, the last thing you want to see is other people having fun. By turning off your phone and other social media platforms, you are resisting the temptation to wallow in self-pity, and instead, you are doing the tedious tasks to make way for the fun ones. Everyone has to do things that aren’t fun once in a while, but being reminded that you could be doing something fun tends to be quite discouraging, so shut the screens and lock in.
Reward Yourself!
Doing schoolwork when something exciting is only days away can be challenging! So, rewarding yourself for your excellent work is very important to reduce the chance of burnout, which would not be fun, especially right before your break. Taking breaks between tasks, getting a snack or that drink you’ve been craving to try, or even just setting aside ten or so minutes to partake in something you enjoy can help boost your morale and, as a result, help you become more efficient.