The Senior Year at college is challenging in many different ways. Planning a career and next steps in life is already stressful enough and, on top of that, comes the scary “TCC”, the final paper submitted in order to obtain a degree.
A lot of people dread the arrival of graduation year fearing this enormous project. Yes, it does take a lot of commitment and maybe a little less sleep, but following these tips will ensure a smooth run and a perfect score on your TCC.
1. Plan ahead (and then plan some more)
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Planning is the key-word for the TCC year. If you don’t feel like following every advice on this list, I suggest sticking to this one. Being organized is the most important part of every big project.
Write up your main goals and plan every step of them, be it month by month or week by week, whatever works best for you. Buy a beautiful planner or notebook so writing and checking up tasks becomes a fun activity. Amazon has beautiful ones starting as low as R$31 and free templates can also be found online to download and print at home.
If you ever feel too overwhelmed, make daily to-do lists so you can have bigger and more constant feelings of achievement. Don’t forget to reward yourself with every task completed, you deserve it.
2. Have a good relationship with your mentor
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This is a make-or-break it point of your final project. If you do not pick a teacher whose ideas and overall vibe are in synch with yours, this will make the completion of your project a lot harder. They are the ones who will stay with you through the entire year and if you two don’t get along, they might end up things harder.
It’s important to always stay true to yourself but also listen to any criticism your mentor might have because sometimes people are so certain of things they get blinded by their own ideas. But if you truly feel like things aren’t working out between you two consider talking to other mentors and see how they can help your TCC goals be achieved.
3. Stay close to friends and family
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Get some advice and support from your loved ones. Chances are, some of them might already have gone through a TCC year.
Stay close and plan nice get-together moments with them to escape from all the last year drama and clear your mind. They’re the ones that know you the best and are guaranteed to make you smile and relax.
4. Start exercising
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Exercising is always a good idea, no matter what. If you already have an exercise routine, don’t sacrifice it in order to have more spare time for school. Staying active will help keeping your stress levels low and staying healthy during a year that is both emotionally and physically challenging.
If you’re a part of the couch and TV team, get some inspiration from your favorite television stars and characters such as the Bella twins and Troy Bolton and start moving.
Join a yoga class, take on martial arts lessons or go walk at a nearby park. Experimenting with different options is key to find the kind of exercise that suits you best and that will get you excited about next class.
5. Get some you time
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When planning your TCC don’t forget to schedule at least one day-off per week. All the books, presentations and research can get a little overwhelming at times so having a day to relax and unwind is very important, but the off-day means 24 hours of TCC freedom.
It should be all about yourself and doing the things that make you happy. If you’ve been craving donuts from the other side of town, this is the day to get them. Or if your happiness consists in lying down and reading your favorite book, so be it. Anything counts to get you relaxed and ready for the next week of dedication.
6. Reconnect with your inner self
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TCC is so demanding it could lead you to forgetting who your true self is due to the new routine and amount of demands it brings. Reconnecting with inner aspects can be a good way to keep calm during this intense period.
Remember that hobby or activity you used to love when younger but let go because of responsibilities? This is a good moment to start them again. If religion is important to you, get closer to your community or religious group and reconnect with your beliefs. Also, consider going to a psychologist, they will surely guide you through this journey.
Take a moment for that inner search and go back to living your truth so you can feel good about yourself and have the strength to keep going and get that perfect TCC score.