A note
If you’re at all like me, it’s the spring semester and you’re already struggling. You’re balancing assignments on top of extracurriculars on top of a job and what feels like so much more. I know what I need is a guide on how I’m meant to survive this semester when it already feels like the world is ending.
However, I promise you the world is in fact not ending, despite how much it feels like it is. That being said, I will provide you with this guide on how to survive the spring semester this year, as a little treat.
I promise structure won’t hurt you
As much as we don’t want to hear it, most of us could use some structure in our lives, especially the kind we create for ourselves rather than the kind externally enforced upon us. Study schedules, adding variety to your study sessions, planning study dates with friends, making faux deadlines before real deadlines etc., are all great examples of ways to create a schedule for yourself in your everyday school life. I’ll go into a bit of depth for each of the ones I just mentioned below.
- Study schedules: As much as I’m all for the impulsive and unplanned study sessions, they aren’t the best long-term solution, especially if you’re someone who struggles with motivation and discipline like me. That’s where a structured study schedule comes into play. I only really plan for the week in advance because so many things pop up as the semester goes on that it’s hard to stick to one specific plan you created way at the beginning. I usually spend some time on my weekend looking at my time blocking planner and deciding what times I’m free and when I should study within that free time. I then like to use my planner to divide all my work into these separate work blocks/into each of my days depending on when the due dates are. For example, if I have one assignment due Wednesday and two due Friday I’ll probably do the first one on Monday or Tuesday and the second on Wednesday or Thursday, leaving a day at the end for emergencies or if I run out of time. Of course, I have far more than three assignments as week, but I thought a more simple example would be more efficient.
- Add some variety: Another favorite method of mine is to make some variety in my studying sessions by doing some with friends! For some people, this may be a big no-no because they can’t focus when working with friends and that’s perfectly fine! You could also create variety through changing up your studying location or what you’re working on, literally anything to break up the monotony of studying and completing assignments.
- Making fake deadlines: My last tip for adding structure to your studying is to create fake deadlines for yourself ahead of actual deadlines. I like to make my deadlines 1-2 days before the real deadline, unless it’s a larger project, in which I’ll leave 3 or so days at the end. I like having these extra days to do finishing touches or to just not have to stress over turning something in at the last minute.
Staying organized amongst the chaos
Another important tip for surviving the spring semester is to stay organized! I personally use a planner to keep track of all my assignments and due dates, but you can use anything that works for you. I also would recommend Notion or something like Google Calendar to keep track of everything.
- Keep track of assignments in some way: I personally love using my planner to organize my deadlines, my pretend deadlines, when I plan on working on what, appointments, meetings, classes and basically everything else in my life. If I’m doing something, it’s going in my planner.
- Mark out study blocks and homework times: I also recommend blocking out times to study and do homework. If you actually mark out your study schedule in some way (either through Google Calendar, Notion, a physical planner, etc.), you’re more likely to actually do it and stick to it.
- Mark out when you sleep, eat, etc., if you struggle with prioritizing these things: Another important thing I’ll suggest is that you should mark out meal times and when you’ll sleep if you often find yourself struggling to have the time to do so. Set yourself a bedtime and make space for lunch breaks in your day and make sure you set a boundary with yourself that you’ll stick to this schedule.
Maintaing balance
I feel that another key tip is to do your best to maintain balance. Burnout is so insanely common, especially around midterms and finals season and the spring semester as a whole. Something about the cold, dark outside just seems to negatively impact us all, so it’s important we do our best to prevent burnout and to take care of ourselves. Here are some of my favorite tips for maintaining balance during the spring semester:
- Making your dorm a safe space: One of my favorite tips is to make your dorm or apartment a safe space and, preferably, a work-free zone (at least 50% of the time). I know this is difficult for a lot of people, but something I’ve been trying to do more is to do most of my studying and assignment completion outside of my dorm. I like spending time at the library or a cafe so I can get my work done as much as I can. I feel like if you dedicate all your time in your dorm to studying, rather than relaxation or sleep, that you’ll continuously feel more stressed and anxious in your environment. If you make your dorm a safe, work-free zone as much as possible, coming back to your dorm at the end of the day will give you that feeling of calm and safety.
- Make time for hobbies and interests: I know it’s difficult to make time for hobbies and interests with so much school work and other extracurriculars and jobs, but it’s important to try to make some time for yourself each week. It can be just 30 minutes once a week where you watch your favorite show while you color, or 45 minutes where you work on some art or do something else you enjoy. I know for some people their “me time” is the time they spend running or working out at the gym, so if that interests you, you can always try that as well. The important part is that you give yourself time to do the things you enjoy so you don’t lose sight of what makes you happy.
- Set boundaries: One of the most important pieces of advice that I can give you is to set boundaries, not only with other people, but with yourself. Set rules for yourself so you continue to respect your own time and energy. My friend’s rules include not hanging out with friends past 9 p.m. on school nights so she can get things done and get proper sleep. My own rule includes no work past 11 p.m. except for absolute emergencies. Boundaries like this are possible especially in combination with one of my other tips of setting your own deadlines. If you pretend your Thursday deadline is in fact a Wednesday deadline, it doesn’t matter that you stop working at 11 p.m. on Wednesday because it wasn’t due until Thursday. You need to learn to respect yourself the same way you would your friends. That often means making sure you are eating properly, sleeping at least 7 hours and taking care of yourself in general.
If you’re a visual person, make it cute
I know one of my most used tips is to make my studying aesthetic. I’m a very visual person, and I’m strongly motivated when things look cute and make me feel good. My planner is cute, my pens are cute, my notebooks are cute, everything I use is cute and aesthetic purely to spark motivation and make me work more, and it works! I highly recommend that if you’re a visual person, try your best to romanticize studying and academics and to do your best to make things cute!
good luck!
Thank you for taking the time to read this little guide. I wish you luck in your journey this semester and I hope you achieve all you want to get done. I’m sure you’ll do great!