It’s almost spring break, which means that professors are all piling on the last-minute work. It seems like I have spent almost all of my time throughout the past week writing papers for all of my classes which, after a while, can get extremely tiring. I’ve devised five tips that help me keep writing even during the most stressful weeks of the semester:
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Set goals and stick to them. Write out on a calendar exactly how many pages you want to write each day. Planning out everything will make it more difficult to fall behind and save everything for the last day. Writing two pages a day for a week seems much less daunting than writing all ten pages the night before the paper is due. Don’t forget to give yourself time to do your initial research, edit your rough draft, and make your bibliography.
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Reward yourself! After you accomplish your goal for the day, reward yourself with an episode of your favorite TV show, a coffee date with a friend, or even a nice nap. These rewards will give you something to look forward to throughout your entire workday. Plus, you’ll feel even more proud of yourself once you’re done and are enjoying your fun prizes. I also like to give myself mini rewards throughout my day of paper writing, such as a bathroom or water break for every paragraph I finish.
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Avoid distractions. Distractions can come from anywhere, such hearing a group of people whispering in Olin or wearing a particularly itchy sweater. Know how much distraction you can handle. If you like working with background noise, try writing in Perice or in Wiggin Street. If you’re like me and can only work in complete silence, head up to 3rd floor Ascension or see if any empty classrooms are available. The Internet can also be a huge disturbance to your writing, so see if you can turn off Facebook and Twitter for a while so you can focus on writing. The same goes with your cell phone. Dress comfortably and make sure that you eat before you start writing, because there’s nothing worse than working with a grumbly stomach!
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Change perspective. I like to move to a different study area around campus every hour of so (from Ascension to the library to the bookstore, for instance). I find sitting in the same chair looking at the same walls to be incredibly tiresome, so a new perspective will get my brain refreshed and ready for another hour of writing. If you get really restless sometimes like me, this tip is crucial. Just a leisurely two-minute stroll will use up some of that pent-up energy. Plus, I oftentimes get some of my best ideas on how to improve my paper during these walks to other buildings. If you can’t change perspective, try to do twenty jumping jacks or sit-ups every hour to get your blood pumping instead.
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Talk to your professor or go to the Writing Center if you’re having trouble. You may think that asking for help with a particularly difficult paper means that you’re not intelligent enough to finish it on your own. That could not be further from the truth! The smartest people know when to get help when they need it. Your professors and the Writing Center are there to help you and their assistance is invaluable. Plus, your professor will note how dedicated you are to your work if you come to him or her during office hours.
Even with these tips in mind, writing papers definitely still takes a lot of discipline and a lot of hard work. Though it may seem tough to get so many analytical and articulate words onto a page, just remember that this is the last push before spring break. And that is definitely something worth writing for.
[Photo Sources: Profwritersconnect.blogspot.com, Fastweb.com]