This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Bloom U chapter.
So, it’s Friday night and you’ve been studying since 10p.m. because every professor wants to cram in extra material before finals? Reaching for your water bottle, you accidentally glance over at the clock… wait, what time is it!? Only 3 in the morning?
If this sounds like you, chances are — it’s time for you to take a study break. However, if you need some validation, we’ve got you covered. Here are some of the unmistakable signs that you need to close the books, and take a breather.
- You’ve read the same sentence about 17 times and still have no clue what it’s saying.
- You’ve begun staring at the pictures in your textbook for way too long because it’s such a relief from actually reading it.
- You fell asleep on your notes… twice.
- Every three minutes you catch yourself shaking your leg uncontrollably.
- A muscle in your face that you never even knew existed won’t stop twitching.
- If anyone is sitting in your chair at the library when you get back, there’s going to be problems.
- All of the food you’ve eaten today has been in the same food group… Pizza is its own food group right?
- You’ve been in the same leggings for– what, four days now?
- Your hand is severely cramping from all of the flashcards you wrote.
- You’re starting to wonder where all these empty coffee cups came from. Did you seriously drink that much coffee?
- You burst out laughing when your friends ask if you have time to hang out.
- Your eyes are bloodshot from staring at the computer screen for so long.
- A shower? What’s that?
- The color of your highlighter has become the biggest and most important decision of your life.
- Going to the bathroom is like taking a mini vacation.
- You’ve managed to use up all the ink in your favorite pen… Seriously, how is that even possible?
- The only motivation that’s effective at this point is the reward of food after studying x-amount of pages.
- You’ve noticed a significant increase in how much you’re talking to yourself…
- Your tolerance for people is nonexistent.
- The songs on your “studying” playlist have started appearing on your “Top 25 Most Played.”
If you’ve experienced any of these symptoms, it’s officially time for you to take a break. Do yourself (and your roommates) a favor and take a shower, eat a real meal, and relax for a bit before hitting the books again.