Deadline season is officially upon us and boy have we felt it already. The library is fully stoked to bursting point, even the quite section. The shop is constantly bustling with desperate and hungry students, craving every kind of snack food available. Sightings of students that aren’t falling asleep or urgently typing up an almost over-due essay have become rare in lecture halls. And that’s just the people who actually make it to the lectures, well done you for showing such commitment in this stressful time. But never fear, I am here with some quick tips to help make deadlines just a bit more bearable.
1. My fist tip is this; eat whatever the hell you want. Seriously your summer body diet can wait, this is more important. Focus requires energy, energy is created by food. I’m also pretty sure that stress burns what feels like a million calories an hour. Don’t put off any craving just because you’re trying to be ‘good’- that sugar urge will be nagging at the back of your brain for hours and will inevitably just distract you even more. Swallow your pride along with an entire packet of biscuits. Don’t get stressed out over the daily intake percentages when you’ve got something more important to focus on.
2. Having said that, equally put aside any other stresses you may have. If it doesn’t need to be thought about right now; don’t. You need to prioritise. It’s so important to take everything one step at a time. Which also applies to how much work you do at once. Don’t think about how much needs to be done, just what you are doing right now. Don’t overdo it all in one go, take it slowly and chip away at it and you’ll get pretty far pretty quickly. This is why I cannot talk enough about how important it is to give yourself a break. Physically and mentally. You are doing great, you are here and you are trying. Thinking about how you should be doing better than you currently are is not going to help you. Thinking about people who have already finished (HOW??) is not going to help you. So give yourself a break. You got this! Also, use study breaks to your advantage. Motivate yourself by thinking about how you can have a rest soon. Allow yourself time away from work. If you find yourself procrastinating and can’t get back on it completely remove yourself from the work environment. Get out for a bit, get some air, do some exercise or watch some Netflix (use with extreme caution). There’s no point staring at your essay blankly if inspiration just won’t come to you. Cut yourself off for half an hour and then try again.
3. Study groups can be great for motivation, especially if you’re planning on an all-nighter. Find yourself a group who’s doing something similar to you and use them. But beware of the distractions that working with friends can entail. Learn who you work well with and who encourages you and makes you feel like you’re on the right track. And maybe the people who insist on watching just one more YouTube video can wait till after the deadlines. Don’t feel guilty for sacrificing the social side of things, fun times will be there for you after all this madness.
Deadline season is tough for everyone. The world turns into an ongoing turmoil of books, words and endless referencing. I promise it will end and it will be worth it. Accept this new and alien world you have entered, support each other and be proud of yourself. You can do it, good luck!