There are two kinds of people: those who strive in the winter and those who strive in the summer. Personally, summertime is when I feel the most alive and the most like myself. The weather is warmer, the days are longer and nature’s colors are more vibrant. But before I get to live out my fantasy of summer days, I have to get through the spring semester. And I have to make it matter. I’ve always found it easier to slack off in the second semester of the school year because a part of me is still burned out from the fall. I’m sure a lot of people feel that way, too. So, before I came back to Stillwater, I sat down and I made a list on how I was going to avoid spring burnout. Hopefully, I’ll stick to my goal! Read below to see the three things I plan on doing:
- Change my pattern of thinking:
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Half of the reason why I feel so drained at the end of a semester is because I allow myself to slack off. I tend to think to myself, “God, I have to write a paper,” or, “I have no idea how I’m going to be able to effectively study for three tests.” Instead, this semester, I plan on being a little more positive and strict with my thinking. I’m going to start telling myself, “I deserve to earn an A on this exam, and to do that, I’m going to have to put in time I know I have.”
Many are quick to denounce this strategy, but it works. According to Mayo Clinic Staff, positive thinking decreases stress levels. Not to mention, positive thinking also increases your life span!
- Plan my time more wisely:
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I already know what you’re thinking: this is such a cliché. You’re probably rolling your eyes, too. But hear me out! From my past three semesters as a college student, I would allow myself to get to the point where I was doing most (if not, all) of my assignments at the absolute last minute. Even assignments I knew I would be passionate about, I didn’t do them until I had no other choice. I was a little more passionate about the Real Housewives of Dallas. So I’m going to manage my time more wisely by giving myself new due dates on assignments. I am going to set a goal for myself where I turn in all of my assignments at lest two days before its due. That way, if I feel crumby about what I submitted, I have time to go back and tweak it. In past semesters, I would be submitting an assignment so late that I wouldn’t have an opportunity to fix it if I wanted to. I’m also going to commit to multitasking. If I’m at the gym, and I have a reading due, you’ll catch me reading on the elliptical. If I can manage to do this, I know I’ll be unstoppable.
- Say “No” more:
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I had a tendency of being a “yes” woman last semester. If I was writing a paper, studying for an exam or doing statistics homework, I had a tendency to say yes whenever someone would invite me out. Doing that contributed to my problem of procrastination. But it also interrupted my workflow. My problem with homework has always been starting an assignment. However, whenever I do start, I get on an unstoppable roll. Until friends wanted me to grab something to eat with them. Or play the Sims. Or complain about boys. The list goes on. By constantly agreeing to go out, my desire to do well on an assignment would decrease. I would come back to an unfinished assignment, and instead of finishing it strong, I did the bare minimum to get it out of sight and out of mind. So, I’m going to make the effort to tell my friends no. It is good to take a break every once in awhile, but in my case, I was doing it every time. And to that, I say no more!
I am committing myself to make these changes. I have to! I want to finish my semester strong. And if you need to make the same changes, then I’m challenging you to take this list seriously. Let’s avoid sprint burnout together, ladies! Good luck!