As the semester winds down, the weather warms up and graduation creeps closer, it’s easy to find excuses to slack off and coast to the finish line. Sure, some of us may have jobs lined up and see no point in homework, and some may just be mentally checked-out and ready to move on with the rest of our lives. But at the end of the day, we still have to that final goal we all came to college with—graduate. Freedom is near, but not close enough. Here are some final pointers on how to give yourself that needed push.
Do your work and stay organized
Homework, papers, projects and exams all weigh down your final weeks of college, and they usually manage to be due within three or four days of each other. Find the nearest calendar and mark it up. Plotting out the deadlines is an accomplishment in itself. The other hurdle is actually doing it. You didn’t make a schedule for nothing and it’s not going to do itself. So, you should probably just do it.
Work then play
College is not all work. College is still a time for us to explore and learn about our world outside of class. It’s not over yet! It’s okay to let yourself go out and have fun… but just do it after the work is done. You’d be surprised how well you work under the pressure of your friends wanting you to be social with them.
Stay healthy
The battle isn’t over after the Freshman Fifteen. Maintaining a healthy diet can keep you alert and energized, and don’t forget your beauty rest. If you’re well rested, you’ll spend less time hitting snooze and more time making it to your morning class.
Use the weather as motivation
Surprisingly, nice weather isn’t very conducive to productivity. We’ve been cooped up all winter and want to go outside and play! Use that to your advantage and establish a reward system: “You can go out and play when your homework is done.” (Wait, how old am I? Mom?!) But if you’re really itching to go outside, take your homework with you and study on the quad.
Go to class
Nice weather also means more pleasant walks… to class! Plus, you know you have a new sundress you want to show off to your classmates. Use the remaining attendance as practice for the real world, because the truth is, you still have to go to work when it’s nice out.
Enjoy your remaining time
Got a Senior Bucket List? Do it. Your undergrad experience is one-of-a-kind and you’ll never get to redo college. Even if you go on to a graduate program, the workload demands more of your time and attention. Don’t wish away the time you have left here. No matter how bad you may want to leave, take it all in now.
Stay positive
Positivity is a key ingredient to productivity. While the last stretch can be overwhelming to get everything done, you have to believe that it will all get done. We’ve managed to survive this far unscathed, so there’s no reason to fear the last one.
You get what you give
Employers want someone who is at the top of their game. You can’t slack off now and expect that you’ll bounce back at full force. If you put the effort into your classes, it’ll show in the long run.
Relax, you have time.
Job-hunting is that extracurricular activity that they forgot to tell you about freshman year. Finishing applications and scheduling interviews fills up that extra time you thought you’d have this semester. The good news is that if you don’t have an offer by May, it’s not over. You have the rest of your life to work. Don’t panic; the future isn’t as imminent as you think.
Keep your eye on the prize
Seven long semesters we have devoted our time to classes and extracurricular activities, packing as much as we can onto that résumé. Don’t flush that hard work away with one last lazy semester, especially when in just a few weeks we’ll get to strut the stage and revel in our accomplishment.
You can bet that I’m using this list as a pep talk for myself, too, as I know I am falling into that Senior Slump. With a little extra push, we’ll be out the door on to the rest of our lives. We can’t relive college twice, so let’s squeeze every last bit out of it.