It’s always exciting to start a new semester. You’ll meet new people who will push you to try new things. But your familiar faces classmates will push you the most (If you’re a creative writing major like me.) It’s exhilarating, and you start to see parts of yourself you didn’t imagine you would. But what happens when you suddenly get slapped across the face with three 6-8 page research papers, and multiple exams, each of which is 20% of your final grade? You start to panic, you think of going somewhere to calm down, think of staying there forever, or gulping down 3-5 cups of coffee a day hoping it will make you stay sane until you get through these things, it doesn’t, tbh.
So what can help ease this inevitable anxiety and stress?
Sleep.
Really. Not just because your mom told you to, but because it actually contributes to mental health. If you don’t sleep, you will probably not remember what you studied the night before. If you’re a full-time or even part-time worker, try to sneak in a power nap of at least 30 minutes (apart from the 5-6 hours of sleep you might have). It will help immensely. Big plus: fewer things will piss you off.
E-mail yourself your lecture notes.
Sounds silly, but it actually alleviates the drag of studying. Use Google Docs to take your notes in class. When it’s over, send them to your e-mail. Wait about an hour after a lecture, that way you can refresh yourself, without cramming so much in one period of time. Also, it sounds nice to hear a notification. That’s self-love, “College Student Style.”
BREAK UP YOUR PROJECTS/STUDY TIME!
Henry Ford once said, “Nothing is particularly difficult if it’s divided into small jobs.” What great wisdom. I wish I knew of it sooner. My previous word of advice correlates with this. I know most of us, (including me) think that we could still succeed by doing all-nighters, but there’s a much less distressing way to get things done. Do a little bit of your work every day. It sounds like torture, especially for my procrastinating self, but you end up having more downtime. Most time spent procrastinating is deciding what to do with that “free” time. But if you do a little every day, you get to invest more in projects, actually write, or research what you want, and end up with a better grade.
Do something you love.
It could be going for a hike, watching the new IT movie, or just hanging out with friends. Serotonin, Dopamine, and Endorphins do the brain good. You will be happier, relaxed, and motivated. This, in turn, will be effective on exam day. Only do these things AFTER you’ve studied.
Drink water. (with chia seeds, of course)
All you coffee lovers, chill out with the coffee. Caffeine depletes your body of Vitamin D and many other things that help our mental resilience. Having a cup is ok, but hydration is your goal. Chia seeds are clean energy. But if the texture makes you squirm, blend it in a smoothie or sprinkle it on your oatmeal. Chia seeds are loaded with Omega 3’s. Fun fact: Chia means “strength” in Mayan.