Well, friends, it looks like spring is finally here to stay! Flowers are blooming all over campus, the sun is shining, and each day’s temperature is well over sixty degrees. Winter’s icy grip has finally melted away.
There’s just one problem: as the weather continually gets more beautiful, finals loom ever closer. You end up spending all day in the library, gazing wistfully out of the window at the blue sky and green grass. You’d much rather be soaking up the sun than reviewing the central dogma of biology for what feels like the hundredth time.
Lucky for you, I’ve got some valuable tips on how to stay productive while still enjoying the spring weather. Check them out below!
1. Take Your Work Outside
Need to read a novel for your English class or take some notes from your chemistry textbook? Head outside and grab an Adirondack chair or picnic table! Working outside can be extremely relaxing, and it’s a great way to get some much-needed Vitamin D. If all of the tables and chairs are always full, try investing in a comfy hammock, or, if you’re someone who tends to nod off when horizontal, check out this camping chair. I have one, and it’s probably one of the most useful things I brought with me to school. If you’re the type of person who needs to be alone while working, try setting it up in a secluded spot on campus.
2. Go For a Walk
I’m going to level with you guys on this one: I’m the kind of person who will write one paragraph of her paper and then take a five minute break to check Instagram. Those five minute breaks add up! Instead of taking little breaks to look at your phone, try working for as long as you can stay focused for (maybe 45 minutes to an hour), and then take a fifteen minute walk. Grab a friend if you need some social interaction or just go solo and clear your head. According to this New York Times article, “light-intensity exercise” can actually “help to prime the brain for the intake of new information.”
3. Skip the Gym
I’m not suggesting that you literally skip exercising, but why sit on a stationary bike or use a treadmill to do your workout? Instead of watching the TV screens in the gym, enjoy the beauty of your surroundings by riding an actual bike or going for a run outside. If your workout is already factored into your schedule, then this is the perfect way to spend a little extra time outside. Just make sure you wear some sunscreen unless you’re looking to sport some serious tan lines.
4. Get Up Early
Hear me out on this one! This does require some self-control and it might not work with everybody’s schedule, but if you’re getting up late and then staying up late into the night, you’re replacing valuable daylight hours with nighttime hours. Waking up early (or at least earlier) allows you take advantage of the precious sunshiny hours of the morning. If you’re really feeling ambitious, try getting up early to see the sunrise. It’s absolutely gorgeous and definitely worth it, I promise!
5. Get Things Done During the Not-So-Nice Weather
Spring isn’t always sunshine and warm weather; sometimes it’s cold and rainy. On the gray days, try to resist the urge to curl up in bed with Netflix, and do some extra work instead. Getting ahead on your readings or papers means you’ll have free time on the next sunny day, and, bonus, you won’t be stressing out last minute when your deadline suddenly approaches.We’re down to just a few weeks left in the semester, and things can start getting really hectic! Hopefully these tips will work for you, and you can be successful while also having fun. Remember, summer will be here soon enough!