Congrats, you have made it halfway through one semester of college. Unfortunately, however, for us students this means more tests, more stress and being too tired to be well-dressed. Nonetheless, if you are willing to put forth your best effort, there is a way to combat the stress of school and sail through smoothly the sea of life.
1. Plan ahead of time
You hear this all the time from instructors and upperclassmen reminding you to read your syllabus to know class requirements, buy a planner to keep yourself on top of things and learn not to procrastinate over work. It may seem like the same old song and dance by this point in your life now but it’s the truth! Get in the habit of constantly looking over your syllabus to make sure important dates do not sneak up behind you. Make sure these key dates are written in your planner, so when that day comes you are prepared.
2. Balance out work and play
Sometimes we don’t feel like studying because it requires putting forth more energy and willpower, while relaxing comes naturally, hence the reason why so many people procrastinate. By planning ahead, you can put aside time to have fun and allow your mind to relax before you put it to work. This way you are more productive with your time, because you won’t feel the urge to take a break after reviewing every five minutes. You can also be productive with your studying by taking a break every hour by eating a snack or even going out for some fresh air to clear your mind.
3. Study
When I say study, I don’t mean read all the chapters that are going to be tested on the exam the night before, because that is not necessarily being efficient with your time. By studying I mean reviewing past quizzes, previous assignments and notes you have taken in class. There is a reason instructors gave you these. More likely than not, the materials from work you have completed in the past will be prevalent on your exam, therefore why not study this instead and save yourself some time and trouble.
Hopefully if you are reading this last paragraph that probably means you have committed yourself to being more productive with your time, subsequently so that you may have less stress in your life. You can’t always control life, but you can try to plan ahead for important dates in order to make time to study. Also remember when you feel like you are suffocating in the sea of never ending work, take a step back and breathe for a moment.