The struggle is real. That’s right ladies, midterms are approaching if they haven’t already begun. Aside from the usual cramming and unorthodox intake of caffeine, you may be wondering, “How in the world do I prepare for these tests?” Yes you should study and no you shouldn’t procrastinate – but what about your relationships? Believe it or not your friendships and relationships can hinder your studying abilities if you’re too involved. I’m here, of course, to advise you ladies on how to deal with balancing the two. Here’s a couple of things you should remember.
School comes first. Our personal lives normally take center stage in the play that is life, but we cannot forget that if we want to be strong successful women, we must take school seriously. As much as you want to prioritize every social event, dream, and relationship before your begrudging school work, you cannot forget why we are here at this great university. So keep this in mind when you’re planning out the weeks ahead and make sure that you make time for what’s really important first.
Avoid arguments. The stress of exams is enough to handle by itself. When you add on the stress of a relationship, this could seem impossible to deal with. Even if you’re not normally an argumentative person, when you’re on edge because of terms like “parabola” and “bourgeoisie” (words chosen because of their difficulty not relation to one another) getting into arguments can be unusually easy. Avoid these confrontations at all costs. Not only will they delay and shorten your study time, but you will probably be forced to choose between school and your boy or girl – and hopefully he/she is not happy with your choice.
Study together if possible, but make sure it’s in an official studying area. Be honest with yourself. You know that if you’re studying with your boo or your bestie, your room is not the place to do it. Neither is your living room. You have to put yourself in a space where you know you won’t be distracted and furthermore a place that you will feel rude if you are chit chatting. The Alexander Library is ideal, I think. But if there’s no way to avoid the chemistry while studying for… well chemistry, you should just ride solo. Yes it may give you anxiety being alone for a couple of hours, but once you get into the swing of things you’ll be happier and better off.
When it comes to studying, you have to treat it like a Nike shoe commercial and just do it. You will think of a billion excuses and scapegoats as to why you can wait until the afternoon, then night, then morning, but you could’ve gotten so much done in the time you’ve wasted. And if your friends and snuggle-buddies really care about you, they’ll be understanding and realize that this is good for you and your future. And if they can’t be understanding, who needs them? Your degree is going to be a lot more permanent than a lot of the people you meet and befriend in college. So let your friends and your partners be salty about your absence, or let them join you in your path to success. The one thing you don’t want to let them do, however, is hold you back. Hope this helped and good luck with your exams girls!
Do you have a problem and need some advice? Email me: GottaAskNatalie@gmail.com