No matter how many quarters I complete at DePaul University, I can never seem to get over how intensely rapid-fire weeks 5 through 10 seem to spit out. We blink, and it’s midterms, we sneeze, and it’s time to pop out a 30 plus page portfolio for that 200 level English elective. Yeesh.
Here’s a quick list of five things to remember during Week T.E.N. (Tears Every Night):
1.Eat food. Real food. Not Mickey D’s every night at 2 am, or substituting breakfast for a large amount of frilly sugary Starbucks concoction coffee. Eat a spinach-quinoa salad. 2 whole oranges. Granola. Spoil yourself and go out for brunch with friends, order some real food, and then hit the library together. Just swallow something that is not drowning in artificial flavors and color or buried in mountains of added sugar. The only Hills Like White Elephants should be on your Ernest Hemingway study guide.
2. STAY HYDRATED! If there was ever a week to start finishing a whole 20 ounce water bottle each day, this week is the week! Your kidneys will thank you. Your brain will thank you. Your pores will look ~f l a w l e s s ~. And if you cannot stand the taste of water (me 100% unless I have run at least 1 mile), brew herbal non-caffeinated tea, pour it into your favorite reusable water bottle, and let it chill overnight.
3. When your skin breaks out in stress-induced acne, take a long romantic stroll to your nearest pharmacy and pick out your new favorite extra strength miracle tube. Below is a picture of my favorite cleanser that stops me from looking like a greasy twelve year old (obviously, everyone’s skin is different and I cannot guarantee what works for me will cure every collegiate. Please proceed with knowledge and caution):
4. Try to go to sleep at a reasonable time. I know many humans who swear by all-nighters, but if you can avoid typing from 5pm to 5am straight, PLEASE DO. The human body and brain needs to rest. Staying up a few hours later than your preferred bedtime is totally understandable in order to finish those last few pages, but planning on catching zero z’s is a recipe for disaster. Ideally, finals studying should just be review work, not teaching yourself from scratch. If you went to lecture, participated in group discussion, completed assignments, and did not royally flunk your quizzes, you should honestly be good to go. If there is one thing that I have absorbed from my sole microeconomics class, it’s that when the marginal cost outweighs the marginal benefit, nothing good will come from continuing production. If the cost of exhaustion, poor concentration, and irritability outweighs the “benefit” of “studying” for oodles of hours straight, please go to sleep.
5. When you feel anxious and have a moment to spare, call, skype, or facetime with your loved ones back home. Your Uncle Sergey cannot take your British Literature extended response for you, but he can tell you all about the weird thing your cousin did the other day, or the dorky habits your parents had whenever they were home from college. It is VERY okay if your biggest support team is made up of the people who have loved you since your very first day, and with the wonders of modern technology, dad jokes, small town gossip, and pictures of your family pet dog Cookie can be a few taps and clicks away. Listen to their stories, tell some of yours, and just laugh a little.