If you’re like me at all, you’re getting a little tired of your old routine. It’s easy to get bored and distracted from your goals when you go through the same motions every week or every day. Especially in school, second semester can get to be a bit of a drag. You’ve been in classes for almost 8 months now and you are definitely ready for a change. And yes, Spring Break is a perfect time to recharge and get through the last few weeks of school before the summer but that doesn’t mean you won’t get caught up in the second-semester slump. Classes are coming to a close, finals are on the rise, everyone is getting irritable, not to mention the strange climate change is not helping. To help you power through these last few weeks of school before the best summer of your life, here are some quick tips to try to finish the school year strong while staying engaged in your ambitions.
1. Make Daily Goals
Nothing feels better than looking at a completely crossed-off list of things you needed to get done that day. I suggest the first thing in the morning, go to your planner and prioritize your tasks for that day. The list needn’t be too long. It can consist of homework items (be specific: if you have to read a book make the goal to read up to a certain point), housekeeping chores (vacuuming), or running errands (again, be specific). Even if it’s as simple as remembering to take out your recycling bin, you are still accomplishing what will eventually need to be done. Plus, you get the reward of checking items off your list.
2. Make Time for Friends
Even if you have a busy day, making time for friends and spending time with those you love will give you a sense of relief from the stress and provide a quick reality check for what’s really important. You can even meet up with your friends for lunch or plan a study session for an hour or so. This will provide you with an escape from your inner self-perpetual stress-induced state and allow you to relate on topics about your overwhelming feelings. If anything, it’s great to know you’re not alone and that your friends have your back.
3. Stay on Top of your Homework
It’s so easy to get behind on homework when assignments aren’t due until after the weekend or in the (surprisingly near) future. I suggest writing out your homework for the following week on Sunday where you can see the week you have ahead of you so you can begin to mentally prepare for the assignments and tasks that need to be completed. Completing a little homework each day will steer you away from so much stress rather than if you were to put it off until the morning it’s due. This organizational skill will also make you feel more accomplished and will help with study habits in the future.
4. Make Seasonal Goals and Plan How to Achieve Them
Yes, I already mentioned the importance of short-term goals, however making long-term goals provides a different effect. Physically creating a list of things you wish to accomplish over the course of the next month or so can help you to keep a positive outlook on the future when faced with the second-semester slump. I suggest to write down 5-10 goals (they can be as simple as “drink more water” or as fun as “write letters home” or as silly as “enjoy the weather”) on a piece of paper to hang up in a place you will see daily. This will keep you motivated to accomplish these tasks while also giving you things to look forward to completing.
Keeping up with these simple and short tips will help you stay on top of your work and keep you out of the perpetual cycle that many second semester students fall into. I hope that the above tips will help you take leaps and bounds towards the very close summer while still making the most of the end of this semester!