Congratulations! You have officially made it over the mid-semester hump. As midterms wrap up, you are probably feeling exhausted and ready for winter break to roll around. With classes still in full swing, it is important to stay fresh and focused in order to finish the semester off strong.
Unfortunately for all of us, the semester isn’t over after midterms. But lucky for you, I have a few suggestions to help you power through the last few weeks of the semester.
1. Switch up your routine
At this point in the semester, chances are you have developed a routine that you mindlessly go about day after day. While this is great for making sure you make it to class and to the gym, it can get a little monotonous and unexciting. Switch it up! Instead of sleeping in until class and doing your homework at night, try waking up a couple hours earlier and getting it done before heading to campus. You’ll have extra time after class to do something fun or to just relax.
2. Reorganize your planner
With hectic schedules and a million things to squeeze into each day, our planners can sometimes be quite the disaster. Having a planner that looks like a bunch of scribble can often be overwhelming. Try buying a pack of colored pens. Use different colors to help color code your agenda. Use one for schoolwork, one for work, one for dates, etc. It’ll also make it lot easier to find things when flipping through your planner.
3. Take some time to relax
I know most of us feel like we have to be go-go gadget in order to get everything done, but taking some time to mellow out and relax can actually help our productivity. Relaxing will help lower your stress levels, which will in turn help you to get more things done. Watch a movie with your roomies or go on a jog – anything that has absolutely nothing to do with schoolwork!
4. Have some “me time”
After a long day, sometimes it’s nice to spend some time alone to clear your head. We all love our friends and roommates, but it’s also nice to have a little “me time” when schedules get hectic. Spend a night curled up on the couch with a hot cup of tea and a good book (not school related!). If that doesn’t cut it for you, treat yourself to a mani-pedi.
5. Set a semester goal
Just because the semester is half way over doesn’t mean it is too late to set some goals for yourself. Giving yourself something to work towards will help keep you motivated throughout the semester, so you’ll be less likely to start slacking off. Set a GPA goal for yourself to work towards. If you don’t have an academic goal for yourself, set a physical goal, like running a 5k or losing a couple of pounds! If you meet your goal, the end of the semester will be incredibly rewarding. Nothing feels better than having all of your hard work pay off.