This time last year I was happily enjoying being a fresher. I’d enjoyed the week full of continuous drinking, nights out, meeting new people and being hung over with my flat mates; and uni had being going well, despite having to run once or twice to those dreaded 9am starts. However, I was then slapped in the face with the sudden realisation that I had just one week until my first essay was due. The thought of a deadline was not a good one. Of course, many people say first year doesn’t count and argue that it’s not that important, but it’s all practice and I definitely didn’t want to fail my first essay.
This led to my flat mate and fellow course mate Becca and I rushing to the library to collect as many books to read as was necessary. Instant panic then hit when we realised there was only one book on the reading list left in the library! We had definitely left it a little too late. Somehow, we managed to scramble together our own reading list, finding whichever books seemed even a tiny bit relevant to the topic, and went back to our flat to start a long day of reading.
Several cups of tea, a few ready meals and 48 hours later we had both produced a rough draft of what we thought was an acceptable essay. I’m happy to say that both our essays were handed in on time and both passed.
We had been lucky, but I will not forget the panic and stress of having to read so much in so little time. I took note of that stress, and for the next few deadlines I faced, I learnt how to de-stress and stay calm. So, if you are now facing your own first mid-term deadlines as a fresher, or, like me, you are facing your first mid-term deadlines that actually count, I thought I’d share a few tips on how to de-stress.
My first tip is to be organised. If you know when your work is due then you can stay calm by managing your time. Make a list of what deadlines you have ahead of you and plan when you have time to go to the library to collect books and read. Set aside time to plan your essay and then write it. You’ll feel so much more relaxed knowing you have some time to chill before the hand in date whilst your course mates are stressing over how few words they’ve written.
Secondly, I suggest taking half hour breaks, or even 40 minutes if, like me, you’re partial to the odd episode of Gossip Girl. After all, keeping up with Serena Van Der Woodsen’s love life and wardrobe is important too! Just ensure you take some time to relax and catch up on the latest TV, with a good cup of tea and bar of chocolate.
Thirdly, stay off Facebook! If your course has a Facebook group then I guarantee that at least 5 people will write that they’re panicking about how little they’ve written, asking how many references is enough and how short can the essay actually be? This will only make you panic more. Especially reading people’s comments that include a theory or idea that you didn’t think was important enough to include or hadn’t even heard of. If you do have a problem, it’s cool to ask your course mates for help, but sometimes it can just make you stress out even more.
Another great idea is cooking. Yes, I know you’re a student and food can be expensive, but instead of stuffing your face with Haribo, choose a favourite meal of yours to take some time out of your studying to cook. It can be therapeutic and calm you down. Eating the finished product is satisfying too, so think about that feeling of accomplishment as you write your essay.
If you need that extra push, plan a night out with your flat or course mates for when you’ve all handed in your work. You’ll want to get that essay out of the way as soon as you can, so then you can get to town, buy a celebratory new outfit and dance your cares away later that evening. That vodka orange will never have tasted so good when you know you met your deadline on time.
But, if all else fails and you can’t de-stress, you can always join the hundreds of students pulling an all-nighter in the Edward Boyle library, downing the red bulls like shots of tequila and hoping for the best. If it works for some, it might work for you too. But why risk it?!
Good luck with those deadlines!
(All images property of Helen Kelly)