The end of fall semester can be hard enough to get through anywhere, but pushing through at Oneonta can be an even bigger struggle. Between the days being short, the cold weather, and the constant going-out, your motivation to do schoolwork can take a tumble. So to finish out the semester strong (and save your GPA) here are a few tips to keep it pushing during an Oney winter:
1. Don’t miss class. The end of the semester can be the easiest time to rationalize sleeping in and avoiding the freezing mornings, because all you want to do is huddle in your blankets and pretend you (temporarily) have no responsibilities. Your bed can be inviting, but going to class isn’t optional. The material in class now will absolutely be on your final exam, and even if your final is cumulative, the last information is always the majority. You want to finish as strong as you started! Plus, the end of the semester is usually when you can score some extra credit grade boosters, and you wouldn’t want to miss the opportunity.
2. Make sure you have healthy eating habits. The end of the semester at Oneonta means 1 of 2 things: you ran out of Declining Dollars at Mills forever ago and are forced to eat only standard dining hall food, or you saved them all until now and are ready to go all-out on junk food for finals week. Either way, your eating habits are going to change. Don’t let it affect your health! Try to get in a few (somewhat) healthy meals, which are available (but usually ignored) in the standard dining halls. Mills Market has loads of healthy options as well. Eating better will keep you energized and focused, and will keep you from getting tired too fast. Make sure to drink lots of water too!
3. Go out less. In Oneonta, there is literally always something to do. Mug night, country night, 90’s night, open bars, formals, date parties, wine mixers… It can be so easy to put off your work and go out with your friends. Now is the time to slow down a bit. That doesn’t mean cutting everyone off and having no social life; it just means you should prioritize a little more carefully. Going out every night of every weekend sounds amazing now, but cramming all the work you put off will definitely have you groaning and possibly (definitely) regretting going out at 6pm for happy hour when you could have been doing a little studying.
4. Don’t do work in your bed. It sounds like an odd thing to point out, but you are so much less likely to get anything done if you stay warm and cozy in bed when you try to do work. The weather is freezing and your room probably is too, and binge watching on Netflix can be so tempting… but you have to keep up the work you’ve been doing all semester. Going to the library, a study room, or even just into your common room or living room creates a much better work atmosphere, and you’ll be so much more focused. Don’t get me wrong- I know that lying in bed and binge watching can be a truly life-altering experience. But won’t it feel so much better when you can do that later with no stress because all of your work is done for the day?
5. Take breaks. The end of the semester can send people into overdrive- completely stressing out, losing sleep, and panicking about piles of work. I once saw an actual person camping out in the library with a tent. Do not be the person in the library with a tent. Slow down a bit. Divide your work into groups, set time limits for yourself, and put aside time to do things that will ease your stress. Don’t overwork yourself. Pulling all-nighters, missing meals, and having meltdowns over a textbook you didn’t even know you had will not help you at all- in fact, overworking can give you the opposite results you’re looking for. Prioritize your work, pace yourself, and take some time to relax.
This list sounds super boring and lame, but doing these things will really pay off. You’ve worked hard all semester; don’t fall into a slump and undo everything you’ve accomplished. There’s only a couple more weeks until finals- and after that, you won’t have to look at a textbook or slideshow for a whole month.