If you’re anything like me, you start losing your mind this time of year. Major projects and presentations start stacking up, you have a test (or three) every week, and all of this work means coordinating times for group projects is next to impossible. On top of this you’ve got social obligations, clubs are going out with a bang, and all the stress is straining your relationships with just about everybody you know. What’s a collegiette to do?
1. Take a deep breath. Your massive research paper is not due in the morning. Your group project doesn’t present until 4PM. You’ve prepared all you can for your test. Close your eyes for a second and breathe in real deep, then breathe out again. Panicking just wastes more time and doesn’t accomplish a thing.
2. Take inventory of what you really have to get done first, or what little things you can get out of the way now. Every bit you do takes that much off your shoulders for later, and it’ll help you focus so that when you really do need to sit down and type out a paper, you won’t be seeing a running ticker of what else you need to remember to do. Writing it all down helps!
3. Take a break. Go get tea with a girlfriend that makes you laugh for even half an hour. Human interaction can make a bleak night of studying bearable and will break up the monotony. If all your girlfriends are in the same hole, go watch cute kitten and puppy videos – but give yourself a time limit! Plus, giving your brain a break will help you maintain focus (can you tell I struggle with staying focused?).Â
4. Try to work ahead. Try. You WILL thank yourself later.
Let’s see if this collegiette can take her own advice this month! How do you stay focused and on top of everything?
Image credit:Â insightmeditation.org.nz