It’s starting to get to that point in the semester that everyone dreads. You’ve been working so hard for the last 12 weeks, assignment after assignment, midterm after midterm. It’s becoming hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel, especially with final term papers and exam season upon us.
There’s also that overwhelming feeling where all you want to do is curl up in a ball and cry, maybe sleep for three days, or lay in your bed and binge-watch the entirety of Grey’s Anatomy. The feeling starting to sound familiar? Need a little bit of motivation on how to combat it? Let me let you in on a few tips and tricks that I use to deal with what I like to call the “End of Semester Scaries.”
1. Give Yourself a Day
This one might be obvious, yet not so obvious at the same time. I find that when I’m constantly finishing one assignment and then starting the next, or having midterm after midterm, I don’t ever give myself a day to breathe. It’s crazy what it can do for you to delegate one day a week to doing absolutely no schoolwork.
Yes, I know, it’s hard to find the time to reserve an entire day, but think of it this way; say you sleep in until 10:00 a.m., get up, make breakfast, and sit down to do an online lecture, but you’re constantly distracted by your phone. Maybe you’re chatting with your roommates throughout this time too, and now you have to make dinner. Then, after dinner you’re tired. Before you know it, it’s already 8:00 p.m. and you’ve only finished the first part of your lecture.
Now, if you spend your day recharging, maybe you still do sleep in until 10:00 a.m.. But you make breakfast, go to the gym, come home and watch your favourite TV show, do some laundry, etc. Your day is still spent doing productive things, and you’ve also taken a mental break from school. I know for me, this gives me the attention and focus I need to have an amazingly productive day of schoolwork the next day.
2. Get Some Exercise
This one is the same old story. Everyone always says that moving your body makes a difference. Don’t get me wrong, I agree. It is starting to get old, hearing this one over and over again. But, do you know why it’s such a common piece of advice? Because it works! Taking a second to clear your head and fostering some endorphins can really make a difference in your concentration and overall well-being.
It doesn’t matter how you choose to do it. Do some yoga, go for a run, walk around campus, take a break to stretch, or go to the gym. There’s an endless amount of activities that can get your body moving. Moreover, exercise is beneficial at whatever time of day you choose to do it; right when you wake up to get your day started, as a study break, or even at night after you’ve finished your work. Trust me, try it out.
3. Do Something That Makes You Happy
For many of us, this one is easy to forget. You get so caught up with completing task after task that you lose sight of everything else. What would you do for your best friend if you noticed they were extremely stressed all the time? Maybe treat them to their favourite Starbucks drink, grab them their favourite sweet treat from that cute coffee shop down the road, or even just take a bit of time out of your day to chill and relax with them. If you would do it for your best friend, why wouldn’t you think of doing that for yourself?
I constantly forget to do things that will bring me a little bit of serotonin. I find that taking a second out of my day to treat myself to my favourite Starbucks drink, or even taking a little trip to the mall and buying myself a cute top or a new candle can really make a difference. Treating yourself to dinner with your bestie so you don’t have to cook or having a listening party for Taylor Swift’s new album works wonders too. These things may seem small and insignificant sometimes, but I find that they can give you that extra something to look forward to and be excited about.
Overall, it can be difficult to get through the agonizing feeling that the semester is never going to end. Trust me, don’t worry. Try a few of these tips and tricks out and I promise it will make the slightest difference. You’re at the finish line, and the semester is almost done. Just push through!
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