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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FSU chapter.

Finals season is quickly approaching… If you are like me, you checked out in February and have been on the school grind since the beginning of this month. While doing this, I experienced brain fog, writer’s block, and had many concepts to learn in a very short time period. I needed a change in routine to help me be successful. Truthfully, my change in routine consists of things some of us roll our eyes at… I am just saying don’t knock until you try it.  

Getting Up Early  

My parents have always complained about my sleep schedule because I would stay up late and wake up late. In my case, now that I have responsibilities, I would stay up late, get up to go where I need to be, then nap. The cycle repeated until I was sick of always waking up and having no energy for school. I wake up every day between 6:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. depending on what time I go to bed the previous night. Waking up early has given me an opportunity to have what I call a “slow morning.” I can have a cup of coffee, journal, watch some YouTube, etc. Incentives! This is key for getting me up out of bed. Knowing I can have a hot cup of coffee once I get up or watch that YouTube video by my favorite influencer while I drink has made getting up early worth my wild. Now I am not always this chipper in the morning; some nights, this is a hard task if I don’t sleep well. I have gotten into the routine of going to 10 a.m. workout classes, and if I sleep through, I will get charged for not showing. This leads me to my next new habit…

Exercise 

Exercising has not only improved my sleep, but it also kickstarts my day. I head to my 10 a.m. workout class, get done around 11 a.m., and head to campus for the day’s classes, where I feel energized and ready to tackle the list I made for the day. I do not attend a 10 a.m. class every day, but I have been trying to move my body daily. Not only does my body need it, but my brain also needs it to function and focus. I take that time to think through all my thoughts and leave them in that one hour Orange theory class or through on my hot girl walk.  

No TikTok During the day 

For me, and yes, this could also be related to the FSU ban, it has been a game changer regarding productivity. I would roll over, scroll on TikTok first thing in the morning, and lose track of time. Not giving in to my morning temptation has made a difference. I can focus on what I must tackle for the day, so I can relax and scroll aimlessly at night. Not saying, “ok, I will only watch for 10 minutes,” has given me so much time to finish things. That 10 minutes would turn into 30, then 30 would turn into an hour. The next thing I know, the sun is going down. I love TikTok; I personally think there are so many great aspects of the platform, but staring at my phone to relax my mind unmotivated me. Using TikTok as a reward for a productive day makes it much more enjoyable. 

This is the most prepared I have felt for my finals literally EVER! I feel like my parents are preaching this, but the key to my success is in all these habits. I would be lying if I just woke up one day and did BAM habit created. Through being kind to myself and not giving up on myself, I found a place to start and places where I still need to grow.  

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Is a junior at FSU studying Editing, Writing, and media!