The most dreadful part of every semester in college is almost upon us: finals. You’re at your wits’ end with all of your work, you’ve run out of cute outfits to wear, you’ve spent all of your money on obscene amounts of coffee, and you’re probably running on about three to six hours of sleep. Sound familiar?
You could just take the easy way out and give up. Forget all of your responsibilities and check out for the time remaining. But that’s not what you’ve worked so hard for throughout the fall semester.
When you’re in this slump, it’s a good time to remind yourself of your goals what it is that you’re working toward. What was the point of all those sleepless nights, working harder than you ever have before? You’ve worked so hard to get to where you are right here, right now. This isn’t the time to give up.
Make sure you’re staying on top of your work and your deadlines. Things tend to pick up and get busier around this time of year. Stay focused and stay organized. Get ahead on work too, if you can. The more you can get done now, the more time you’ll have later, which you’ll greatly appreciate as #finalszn approaches.
That being said, it’s important to take breaks, too. I heard this quote the other day that was something along the lines of, “If you don’t make time for a break, your body will.” Mentally and physically, you cannot continue to work productively without taking a break. Whether that break is of your own volition or of your body’s is up to you, but it’s essential that you give yourself some time to relax.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, it’s okay to take a step back from your work. I know that Barnumbia’s stress culture can make it seem as though everyone is studying 24/7 and make you feel as though you should do nothing but immerse yourself in work for hours on end, but I can assure you that this is far from the truth. No one is working that hard and if they are, then they’re probably superhuman. I really cannot emphasize how important it is that you take a break, take some time for yourself, watch your favorite movie or TV show, do a face mask, and make some hot chocolate. You could also go for a walk through Riverside Park or get yourself something sweet from Hungarian. Treat yourself!
If you’re anything like me, you probably just want to skip right through finals and fast-forward to winter break. Unfortunately, the world isn’t remote-controllable and we can’t do that (yet… at least). You have the ability to make it through to the end of the semester. You’ve survived everything that’s been thrown at you so far, despite the challenges and the ups and downs. You can make it through these next few weeks and end the semester on a high.