Post-midterms, it’s easy to fall into the trap of a mid-semester slump. You may have lost your beginning-of-semester motivation but aren’t quite at the finals grind yet. Maintaining motivation is the key to pushing past this weird “in-between” part of the semester when it can be enticing to stop doing your readings, fall behind on deadlines, and procrastinate. Finding incentives to do your work can be tough, but think of the payoff of getting the grades you want after working for them.
Here are some ways to avoid these feelings of frustration and distraction:
Outline a calendar with your remaining responsibilities for the entire rest of the semester:
Include your practices, events, club meetings, assignments, projects, and breaks. Consider including deadlines for revisions of your papers and other tasks to hold yourself accountable to stay on track. This will allow you to visualize the time left before winter break and fully understand how to make it productive. This will also prevent you from double-booking yourself or falling behind on academic material.
If you haven’t yet, go to office hours with your professor:
Checking in after midterms to see your mid-semester grade and talking about the course with a professor shows them that you care about your grade and the work in class enough to advocate for yourself. If you have a more personal connection with your professors, you will likely want to do the work for their class and remain engaged in their lectures and assignments. Professors at Vassar are excited to meet with their students and build relationships, and a good number of them are super fun to talk to and learn from.
Find non-academic things you’re excited about:
There are so many things to be optimistic about during the Fall semester, whether it’s Halloween, catching up with friends after October break, looking forward to Thanksgiving and time spent with family, or enjoying the beautiful Hudson Valley’s changing colors. Plan a trip off campus with your friends, as the Metro North is accessible to everything from cute towns, to hiking spots, to city museums. These excursions can shake up your normal routine and add some impromptu fun to your schedule.
Having gratitude:
Gratitude is a motivating emotion that encourages positive behavior and self-improvement. Having joy and being grateful for the things you have is a great way to shift your mindset to a more positive and motivated place—which is key for achieving your goals.
Finding a new study environment:
Maybe you’ve been studying in the second-floor library every week for this entire semester so far. This is the time to switch it up and change your scenery! Vassar doesn’t have a shortage of beautiful and isolated places to write a paper, study bio flashcards, or work on your problem set. Find a new go-to spot, perhaps the bridge, or the Old Laundry Building, or your dorm’s MPR.
Thanksgiving is four weeks away and Winter Break is seven weeks away, which feels far but they will be upon us before we know it! Good luck staying motivated and on top of your various responsibilities!