So here’s the picture: fall break is over, and Thanksgiving is at that exact point where it’s not so far that it hurts, but it’s not exactly close either. With this painful anticipation comes the dreaded “slump”. The slump happens to all of us. It’s that feeling we get when we think about fall break and all the relaxation that came with it, and then we think of what’s in our future, 5 weeks too far away, Thanksgiving. We’re all in the slump. The slump that comes with excessive procrastination, way too much homework with way too little motivation, and too many plans in the fall leaves that don’t involve thinking about homework. But not to worry! Here are some tips to get through it, they’re simple and will surely help with the dreaded slump.
1. Plan plan plan! Take out a monthly calendar for the rest of October and November and write down all of the dates that you have big assignments due, and then plan accordingly! This simply technique will relieve you of the stress of forgetting a big assignment, and will also help you plan your days. Maybe you can also give yourself mini deadlines where you have to have done a certain part of the assignment, that way you can spread yourself out. Make sure to include those in your calendar too!
2. Don’t forget homework exists! We all knows how much it sucks to realize on a Sunday night at 11pm how much stuff we have due the next day. To prevent this, before shutting your brain off on Friday afternoon, decide what you’ll do when over the weekend. Even if it’s just an hour on Saturday afternoon, it’s one more hour of sleep you’ll get Sunday night!
3. Sleep! Sleep is so important when it comes to school. Studies show that there’s a better chance that you’ll do well on a test when you get more sleep than when you pull an all nighter. For this reason, try to get as much sleep as you can. Shoot for 6-8 hours/night and you’ll be golden! And just think of all the sleep you’ll get in Thanksgiving when you finally finish everything you have to do!
4. Stay happy! In psychology class the other day, my teacher made a point to make us realize how little importance we place on our mental health and happiness, sometimes, on a college campus. To prevent this, take an hour out of every day to do something that you truly love. Even if it’s just watching your favorite Netflix show, doing some yoga, or shooting a ball on a court, your happiness is so important to your success in college and in the slump, when everything seems to slow down, including a fun activity in there every once in a while makes everything much more enjoyable.
Don’t stress about the slump though, it’ll be over before you know it! Good luck!! :)