As we near the middle of Spring semester, professors are beginning to actually give out tests and midterms on the material you’ve learned so far. This is stressful for everyone, and you’re not alone in feeling overwhelmed. Take a deep breath and read this article on how to overcome this feeling and own the school year:
Get Coffee
Or get tea, or really anything you need to sip on in order to stay focused and feel productive. For me, taking a relaxing, but goal oriented walk to get an iced latte is the first step to taking things one at a time. Then, for the rest of your stress-filled day, you have something to comfort you, keep you happy, and fill your energy. A little bit of procrastination at the beginning is normal, but a short walk to wrap your head around things will help you structure your day.
Organize Your Schedule
Organize your schedule to the best of your ability. This makes it easier to understand what you have to do and when, helping you to remember the little things. Use a whiteboard or a schedule planner to write in because the more you write down, the better you remember. Making sure you get everything done on time is half the battle.
When writing your schedule, make sure to include any office or tutor hours you could attend. When things do get hard, a professor can help answer your questions. Don’t procrastinate this step becuase the longer you wait to get help, the more stress you will feel.
Go Day By Day
I know this is easier said than done, but be purposeful with your time. This means that no matter how long it takes, make sure you accomplish everything one by one. There is no such thing as multitasking, and you will complete tasks more thoroughly when you focus on one thing. To me, there is nothing like the satisfaction you get from completing an assignment and doing it well at the same time. I like to make sure that I allot myself as much time as possible to do my studying or homework because it eliminates the feeling of rushed deadlines.
Study Incrementally
Every day, do at least one small amount of studying. The best advice I’ve ever heard is “doing something poorly once is better than not doing it at all.” At first I didn’t understand that saying, but there was a day where I felt no motivation whatsoever and convinced myself to study for just ten minutes. That ten minutes of studying was infinitely better than the alternative of not studying at all.
This obviously shouldn’t happen everyday—only studying for ten minutes everyday probably won’t solve any of your problems. But on the day where you are feeling stuck and unmotivated, there is no shame in only doing a little amount of work.
And whatever you do, don’t cram! Incrementally studying throughout the week ensures that if you have any remaining questions you have ample opportunity to get them answered
Treat Yourself
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. So in order to avoid having a “The Shining” moment, set a goal for yourself after you’re done with your work! My personal favorite is treating myself with raspberry cheesecake ice cream.
But whatever makes you happy, make sure to enjoy it as a reward. This will push you to study more everyday.
Don’t forget to take breaks to hang out with your friends, or just go for a nice walk with headphones in. De-stressing like this in between homework assignments helps clear your brain and help you to tackle the next problem that comes your way.
Life is full of challenges, especially after college, so finding a healthy way to balance work and play is a long term skill everyone should learn.