18 days. At the time of me writing this article, we have 18 days of classes left in Jefferson’s Fall 2022 semester. And I have a feeling that this is going to feel like the longest 2.5 weeks in my academic career. Luckily, Thanksgiving break is imminent, and after break the rest of the semester will fly by. But before those 5 short days of peace, the last few papers, exams, and club events of the semester will all be getting squeezed into these next couple of weeks.
I’m honestly a little stressed just thinking about it all. Making sure to get all my assignments done on time, making time for my relationship, my extracurriculars, and – of course – for myself, is a bit overwhelming, but I have a plan. Here are a few ways I’m going to make sure I survive the next 18 days of classes.
- Making time for hobbies
At this time of the semester, it’s easy to become tunnel-vision focused on academics, and while as a student your academics should be one of your top priorities, it should not be your only priority. We do better when we feel better, so I want to make sure I’m making some time to do what keeps me feeling grounded and fulfilled. With all the assignments and events I have going on, I might not have 2 hours to spend lifting at the gym, but I can definitely put 30-ish minutes aside to walk on the treadmill, get on the rowing machine, or do a short weight-training workout.
Making sure you are still doing things that bring you joy – be that working out, reading, playing an instrument, or going out for coffee – will make the end of the semester a lot more tolerable.
- Keeping assignments organized
I am so incredibly guilty of waiting till the last minute to do assignments, or even worse, forgetting I have assignments to begin with. To avoid the late-night panic of forgetting an assignment was due, I’m using my favorite planning app Notion to stay organized. I use the To-Do list feature to organize my assignments in order of their due date and move them into the “Doing” or “Done” category as I work on them.
Notion is available on desktop and mobile devices, so I can quickly check what still needs to be done regardless of whether I’m at home, at school, or out and about.
- Prioritizing rest
This sort of goes along with my first point. If you’re not sleeping enough, your performance in school or anything else is going to reflect that. If you can’t get enough sleep one night for any reason, I completely recommend taking a short nap during the day, then getting back to work on assignments or anything else you need to get done.
- Keeping a clean space
I feel less chaotic mentally when my apartment is clean, and cleaning is a great way to take a mental break while still being productive. I will be making sure I take time to vacuum and tidy so that I don’t have the added stressor of an untidy space.
- Seeing/talking to loved ones
My favorite people can always make me feel better, but sometimes when there’s so much going on, I feel guilty for taking time to slow down and spend time with friends when I “should” be grinding out assignments. I am planning to remind myself that while I am a student and academics are my priority, I am also human, and humans need other humans to thrive. Once again, I want to remind both myself and you, reader, that our academic performance is only as good as our mental health. So don’t feel guilty for taking time to see the people you love or for taking a break to decompress with your besties. Embrace it, enjoy that time, and then you’ll probably feel recharged and ready to get back to work.