Tis the season for late assignments and skipping classes. We’ve gotten to that point in the semester where we’ve all figured out the minimum amount of effort we have to put in for each of our classes to get a good grade, but it still seems like there’s not enough time in the day to get all of our homework done. It feels like the beginning of the semester was years ago, yet December seems so far away. It’s a daily struggle to find the motivation to go to all of your classes, especially if you know that you could be spending your time working on homework for other classes. I’m sure we’ve all debated a few times if a college education is worth all of this stress and madness, but then we find a little motivation to push through another year. This article is for those of us who need some words of encouragement and some self-care tips to help us through the final stretch of the semester (or even just the rest of this week)!
You’ve Survived 100% of Your Worst Days
This quote is straight out of my Pinterest, but it’s one of my faves to help put things in perspective. Seriously, remember your presentation last semester where you got so nervous you thought you were going to have a heart attack? Or your first exam freshman year when you left in tears because you thought you were going to flunk out of college? Guess what, you powered through those days and came out stronger than ever. Yeah, those days sucked pretty hard but if you figured out a way to overcome those obstacles, you’ll discover another way to make it through this semester.
Start Looking for the Positives
You forgot you had an assignment due, you were late to class and everyone stared at you awkwardly while you sat down, and you realized your shirt was on inside out, but you also saw the cutest puppy out for a walk today. Try to recognize something out of your day that made you smile and write it down before you go to bed. It’s always refreshing to fall asleep with something positive in your head instead of your ten page list of things you need to do tomorrow. Think of the puppy!
Visualize Your End Goal
Everything you’re doing right now has a purpose. It’s so easy to get caught up thinking about all of the assignments you need to complete by next week, but just remember that there’s a reason why you’re doing them. You’re in school to educate yourself so that you can go into your dream field. You’re helping yourself and potentially helping others in the future. It may seem like a lot of meaningless assignments, but with each one you turn in, you’re one step closer to having your ideal career.
Take a Mental Health Day
I’m a firm believer in mental health days. When you’re throwing up and have a fever, you’re probably going to stay home from class. When you have had a morning filled with anxiety and panic attacks, you shouldn’t be expected to suddenly snap out of your mental state to get to class. Please know yourself well enough to know when you’re at your stress capacity and just take a day off. There’s absolutely no shame in needing to take a break from the craziness of college life. If you find yourself skipping classes more frequently because of your mental health, it’s definitely something worth talking to your doctor or a therapist about to help you through.
Break a Sweat
When you’ve been staring at your computer screen for hours trying to figure out how to end your paper, get your endorphins up by heading to a class at the Rec Center or going for a run. It’s shown that physical activity can help reduce stress and increase your concentration, so put on your tennis shoes and take a break from homework for an hour. When you eventually return to your assignments, you’ll feel refreshed and have a natural high from your killer workout.
Ask For Help
If you’re struggling in one of your classes, don’t hesitate to ask your professors for a little help. Go to their office hours and ask them every single burning question you might have. Most professors truly want you to succeed in their class, so they’re more than willing to help you out when you need it. If your professor isn’t the most welcoming person, ask another Gopher for some help! This can be someone in your class or a student tutor who’s been recommended by one of their professors as someone who excelled in the class.
Be Kind to Yourself
Stop being so rude to yourself! College is hard because you have to juggle your schedule for class, homework, work, clubs, friends, volunteering and whatever else you may be involved with. Don’t beat yourself up for not doing everything perfectly. Give everything your best effort and feel good with the fact that you’re doing the best you can.
Best of luck to all of you collegiettes in the final stretch of the semester. You’re all wonderful warriors who are so inspiring to other people!