Sometimes it’s hard to get back into the swing of things at school after a break, especially near the end of the school year. Here are some tried-and-true tips for getting back into a school mindset after Spring Break:
Make lists
This is a good time to sit down with your syllabi and reacquaint yourself with the expectations for each class. Write down any major projects or exams you have coming up in the next couple weeks. If you’re feeling really ambitious, you can make a plan for the rest of the semester (it’s not that much longer!).
Check email
If you’re like me, you’ve been avoiding your school email all week and have a lot of messages that really shouldn’t wait any longer. Cleaning out your inbox will help make sure you’re up-to-date on everything that happened over break and ready for the coming weeks. Plus, getting rid of that annoying little notification badge will make a little anxiety go away!
Stay off social media
I know it’s super tempting to check everyone else’s Insta stories, but it’s also way too easy lose an hour or two scrolling on your phone. Also, you’ll most likely just be giving yourself FOMO over other people’s breaks (especially if your friends have Spring Break the week after you do!) or missing your own vacation. It’s best to stay off the social media for a couple of days while you get back into the swing of things. If it’s too hard to stop cold-turkey, try setting timers for yourself. For example, I only let myself scroll through my Twitter feed for 15 minutes each morning. Once that 15-minute alarm goes off, I’m off Twitter until all my work is done. It’s not always easy to stick to the guidelines you set for yourself, but it’s worth it in the end.
Organize your desk/study space
Hopefully you cleaned your room a bit before you left for the break, but if you didn’t—or if you just piled everything up on your desk like me—take a few moments to organize your space. Most college students spend the majority of their time in their dorm rooms, right? It’s generally much more pleasant to work and easier to focus in a space that’s well-organized. Plus, if your desk is already clean, you won’t have it as an excuse to procrastinate writing that paper that’s due next week.
Get a good night’s sleep
Going from a week of relaxation straight into stress mode is no fun. One way to ease that transition is to make sure you’re getting a full 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night. Try staying off your electronics during the hour before bed, not drinking caffeine in the afternoon, making your room a little colder (or turning on a fan, if you don’t have control over your thermostat), or try meditating to help you fall asleep faster. Feeling well-rested will make it easier to get through the day.
Go to class!
It’s way too easy to tell yourself you’ll just take one more day to rest. After all, the Monday after a break is the hardest, right? Only then you find that Tuesday feels just like Monday since you didn’t go to class. Then you fall into a cycle that gets harder and harder to break. It’s okay to take a mental health day when you need to, but going to class that first day back will help set up a routine and remind your brain that you’re back at school.
Give yourself something to look forward to
I love iced coffee, so I use it as a reward for myself. I got out of bed, showered, and got dressed for my 9am class? That’s worthy of an iced coffee. I made it all the way through classes, work, and extracurriculars without crying? Definitely worthy of an iced coffee. You can personalize this incentive as much as you want—make it chocolate, or a facemask, or a fun activity with your friends. Having something to look forward to makes going to class so much easier!
Remember, summer isn’t that far off. It’s just a matter of weeks, and then we can all go back to our vacation mindsets again!