5 Tips On How to Deal With Mid-Semester Burnout

November is here, and the semester is officially past its halfway point! Classes are reaching near their end, when the workload may become heavier and your stress levels higher. Whether it be numerous classes having an assortment of assignments or the annual day-to-day becoming too much, the middle of the semester can be pretty rough. Those mid-semester blues are all too common, when all you can think about is going home for Thanksgiving and being free from classes for one glorious week. The bottom line: you’re likely burnt out from all the work, classes, clubs, meetings and everything else. Fear not; that exhaustion is perfectly okay, and I’m here to help you get through it. Here are five tips on how to deal with mid-semester burnout! 

Give Yourself a break, You Deserve It

While it sounds productive, working nonstop isn’t always the best. Of course, you don’t want to take a repeated amount of breaks throughout the day, but giving yourself a break or two isn’t so bad. Whether it’s taking a stroll around your dorm amidst the cold, having some tea while reading a good book or even grabbing a bite to eat and getting your mind off of your work, breaks can be helpful to allow your mind to reset. Burnout can make it hard to get work done, but giving yourself a break to reset your brain will help you in the long run. A break can also reset your frame of mind to tackle the rest of the work you have, and come back at it with a lot more focus! 

Stay Organized

With burnout, it can feel like you can’t get things done. However, when you’re feeling overwhelmed by all of the work left to do, the best way to manage it is by staying organized. For me personally, my planner has been super helpful this semester. Writing down assignment deadlines, club meetings, to even visits from my parents, my planner keeps me on track of everything. Even when I’m struggling to get my attention back on my work, my planner makes sure I’m managing my time the best way I can. So, when it comes to having three assignments due all on one day, I’m already prepared to lock in and get the work done! 

Figure out your time management

As mentioned previously, time management is something I’ve been trying to get better at. For me, the middle to end of the semester seems to be the heaviest workload wise. With assignments starting to pile up, the best way to finish them all is through time management. Setting aside time to make sure each assignment is done on time (and just as important, done well!) is crucial to keep you working amidst the mid-semester burnout. College schedules can become hectic for most, but time management is what helps me keep it under control. Whether you’re taking a course load of 12 credits or 18 credits, college classes come with an assortment of assignments, and not a lot of time to complete them. Planning and managing your time is the best way to stay on track for the rest of the semester, especially when you’re feeling drained!

don’t procrastinate

I feel like such a hypocrite by saying this because I’m the absolute worst procrastinator. However, ultimately procrastinating makes work even harder on you. Procrastinating allows for assignments to just pile up like the picture above. Waiting till the last minute tends to makes me even more anxious and stressed about assignments, and puts me in an off mood for the rest of the day. Give yourself time to complete your work to the best of your ability whether it be writing essays, completing weekly assignments or studying for your next assignment. Time is the best thing you can give yourself. Don’t ruin your chances of finishing the semester out strong by limiting the time you have to work. While procrastination may at first seem minor, the consequences just result in placing even more stress on yourself. Save yourself the stress of rushing an assignment, and give yourself the time you need to complete it at your best! 

Sleep & Water Intake is Key

I cannot stress this enough, but get enough sleep! Sleep is so important to a college student. I’ve had my fair share of long nights staying up trying to complete my assignments. However, I’ve come to learn that while assignments are important, so is your sleep schedule. Personally, I feel so drained when I don’t get a good night’s sleep, and the day after I feel run down and exhausted. Imagine feeling that way every day of the week. This also comes hand-in-hand with caffeine intake. I’m an avid coffee drinker myself, and love to have my daily medium pumpkin iced coffee from Dunkin’. Yet, this semester I’ve learned that too much caffeine is not the best thing in the world. Too much caffeine means not enough water, and ultimately your body isn’t being nourished for the next day. Water intake and sleep is crucial to fight against mid-semester burnout and crush the rest of the semester! Along those lines, keep up with eating consistent meals. Yes, it may feel like you must rush out the door first thing in the morning to head to the library every day of finals week, but don’t let that trump the priority of sitting down and eating a nourishing meal. Your brain and body will thank you in the end!

We’re unfortunately reaching the part of the semester where burnout is becoming a major struggle. I know that the long days of working on assignments, studying for exams and reading endless required material is grueling, but we’ll get through this together! Hopefully, these tips can help you and me defeat mid-semester burnout and rock out the end of this semester. Just a reminder, Thanksgiving break is less than two weeks away!