Congratulations, seniors! You’re almost there. Graduation day is coming up faster than expected and the thrill of graduating may leave you with mixed reviews: excitement and nervousness. With graduation also comes the inevitable senioritis, the unmistakable feeling of “I-no-longer-care” parked at procrastination-station. Lucky for you, you’ve found this blog, which means you were in the middle of procrastinating on writing that paper due tomorrow or studying for a test, and now you’re going to figure out how to push through these last few weeks until graduation. I know, its hard to care about school while you’re sending our resumes and thinking about your future. But trust me, you want to end your college career with solid grades and the satisfaction of knowing you didn’t give up. So here are five things you can do to help you stay motivated and end your senior year strong.
1) Stay fit
Working out at the gym, even if it is just cardio, will help keep your energy levels up and keep your moods high. To stay focused and motivated, its always easier when you’re in a happy mood. Plus, when you work out, you gain confidence because you’re doing something healthy for your body. Plus, working out relieves stress so it benefits you if you’re worried about a job application that’s weighing on your mind making it hard to concentrate or if you’re worried about a particular class or test. Relieving stress will help make focusing easier because you have relieved that tension.
2) Make a schedule
If you’re not a very organized person, this may help you get through these last few weeks without stressing out at the very end when you realize a project is due that you haven’t even started. Visit the syllabi from each of your classes and write the due dates for the most important aspects of the remainder of the class on a calendar. This way, you have a good understanding of what is coming up and you can begin projects earlier to make it easier on yourself in the long run. Don’t procrastinate, though!
3) Keep your schedule
If you’re going to take the time to make a nice schedule of the rest of the semester, then make it a point to actually keep this schedule. Procrastinators: don’t make the schedule and then forget to begin projects early. This would cause unnecessary stress on you later and since this is your last semester, we don’t want that for you. Think of this as good practice for keeping deadlines in your new job.
4) Stay organized
This is key for when you make your schedule. Staying organized will make it easier to keep to your schedule and will take some of the last minute stress off. Plus, if you stay organized, it will be easier to manage your time and get those projects done with time for procrastination. It helps to set times during the week to work on specific projects or papers and this way you can schedule outings with friends to keep your stress levels low.
5) Find ways to stay motivated
Have an accountability partner to keep you on track with your schedule. If you work on projects or papers with someone in your class, it may make the work go faster and won’t be as boring. Give yourself treats for accomplishing a goal, but don’t cheat and treat yourself early! What motivates you? Find out what it is and turn it into a way to get your things done in a timely manner.
Good luck with your final few weeks, seniors!