The countdown to summer has begun. With roughly four weeks left the strength and willpower of students are waning. How are we supposed to stay motivated when summer is within our grasp? Here are some tips that may be useful.
1. Open the blinds and let the sun shine in. Sitting in a dark, musty room all day would make anybody go crazy. The natural light lifts your mood and makes studying bearable.
2. Work out. If you say you don’t have time to work out how do you still have time to watch reruns of How I Met Your Mother? Even if it’s just running on the treadmill for 20 minutes, working out relieves stress and improves concentration throughout the day. Also, while running on the treadmill you can still work through an idea for a paper or study in your head.
3. Go for a walk. If the words just aren’t coming out right, sometimes a quick walk around campus can help thoughts flow and inspiration strike.
4. Make a detailed list of everything you need to get done throughout the next few days. This always works for me and the act of making a schedule makes me less stressed. It calms me down and helps me realize that everything can be accomplished.
5. If you’re having trouble writing a paper, visit the CAE or a professor during office hours. Even if you haven’t even started, talking over your ideas for a paper is still extremely helpful.
6. Don’t even look at your bed or think about it for that matter. Imagine that you have no bed. Your desk is now your home.
7. Take brief breaks. Sometimes the only way to get from one homework task to the other is the promise of a silver lining at the end. In between tasks, take small breaks, such as painting your nails, or planning your outfits for the next few days.
8. Avoid people at all costs. At least for me, I have to follow this rule. When I am working and people are around I become uncharacteristically talkative and interested in other people’s lives. If noises or people are too distracting, just listen to music or white noise for some peace.
How are you gearing up for the next four weeks?
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