We’re quickly approaching the end of the semester. Professors have been discussing end-of-the-semester projects and tests, and, if you’re like me, you’re a little surprised. Just a couple of weeks ago, it was the middle of October, and we were taking our first tests. We were typing our first essays. Now, we’re talking about juries, 15-page final papers, portfolios, and final exams. Where has the time gone?
In the midst of all this, Thanksgiving is coming up—which should be time to relax—but after break, we have:
- 3 days of classes
- 1 Reading Day
- And finals
If your professors haven’t given you a wake-up call, the chances that I just did are fairly high. How are you ever going to keep your head on straight with all of this new information?
Here are some tried-and-true tips that will help you survive these next couple of weeks:
- Keep Your Planner Close
Make sure you keep all of your assignments organized. If you didn’t do so at the beginning of the semester, go through and write all your due dates and test dates so that you aren’t caught by surprise when your Marketing professor announces a test for which you haven’t even started studying.After writing down important dates, figure out what you need to be fully prepared. If it’s a project, you’ll have research, preparation, and review before the big presentation day. If it’s a test, organize all of your test materials, study a little bit each day, including the night before, and you’ll feel confident and do well on the day of the test.
- Delegate Projects Over a Period of Time
We’ve all procrastinated. We’ve all forgotten about a project that’s due, and then it comes as a surprise that keeps us up all night, putting things together that look like beautiful works of art when, in reality, we’ve only worked on it for a few hours. Delegate tasks to group members. You can’t take on the world yourself! - Sleep and Eat Well
When we get stressed and busy, those things that deserve extra attention, like eating right and sleeping well, fall by the wayside. We think we’ll make up for it, but we struggle more when we haven’t slept and can’t pay attention in class. By this time, we aren’t able to register necessary daily tasks.Make sure you sleep. Even if your work isn’t done, go to bed early and wake up earlier. Don’t neglect eating because you “don’t have time.” Keep some granola bars and Neuro Sonic drinks on you—something that will give you energy and provide you with the necessary nutrients to keep you feeling full and awake.
- Take Time for You
I’ve heard this phrase so many times over the semester. People told me to take time for me, to relax, but I refused. Eventually, it caught up with me. Take it from me: in order to succeed in all aspects of life, you need to take time for you.
Follow these simple steps to feel less stressed as the semester wraps up. When you feel better, you do better. Hang in there, Collegiettes! Christmas break is in sight!