This is your fourth exam—this week. You have slept about eight of the last 72 hours. The caffeine in your usual double espresso doesn’t even do the trick anymore. You are guzzling carbonated energy drinks like water, only to boost your energy level by some insignificant increment. Your friends have likened to your unkempt hair, your disheveled attire and your lackadaisical walk to that of a zombie. Your body is crying out for some good ol’ shuteye but you can’t afford to rest—you have a ten-page paper due in four hours, internship hours to complete and group meetings to attend.
If this sounds anything like you, you may be burned out by the mid-semester slump. The mid-semester occurs after the novelty of a new semester wears off; during that time, classes, clubs and other activities pick up the pace and schoolwork piles high. Correspondingly, motivation tends to dip. Times like these can leave a Collegiette feeling helpless. As insurmountable as these times may seem, there are methods to prevent the mid-semester slump.
Create a schedule. Plan ahead. Make life easier by writing down all of your appointments, classes and assignments. It’s better to have a written record of your school work than to simply try to memorize it. Writing dates and times down prevents any appointments or assignments from falling through the cracks. You can also adjust the dates on your calendar to ensure that you get your work done. Toya Hall, UNC-Chapel Hill Junior said, “Usually, I move dates on my calendar ahead of time. I schedule everything to be due two days earlier.” Her method can help make sure you’re not swamped with work close to due dates.
Hit the Snooze button. In a college environment, sleep is almost never a top priority, but it should be! According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than 63 percent of college students don’t get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation is detrimental to academic performance and makes it more difficult to focus. Make sure you get your full eight hours a night by scheduling a bedtime for yourself. It may seem a little silly, but keeping your body well rested is the key to avoiding the mid-semester slump.
Prioritize. Order your tasks from most important to least important. Time management skills are an important factor in tackling the numerous responsibilities of a college student. Prioritization is essential to killing the lazy, unorganized and unmotivated feelings of the mid-semester slump. Keep a list of commitments in order of importance and stick to it. Hall said when it comes to studying, exams always come first. She said, “Anytime a test comes around, I get on my grind.”
Reward yourself. When you complete a tough exam or finish a hard week, let loose. Congratulate yourself on making it through another exam, project or paper unscathed. Buy yourself a sweet treat or that pair of shoes you have wanted since the beginning of the semester. Creating your own rewards for completing tasks will keep you motivated.
How do you avoid the mid-semester slump? Let us know!
Sources:
Planner (photo): College Fashion, http://www.collegefashion.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/daily-planner.jpg
Tired girl (photo): Stuvu.com, http://blog.stuvu.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/tiredStudent-300×199.jpg
Alarm clock (photo): Yachting-intelligence.com,
http://www.yachting-intelligence.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/sleep.jpg