It can be quite the challenge to come back after a week off and find the motivation to wrap up the rest of the semester. As warmer weather comes, studying in the library becomes less appealing than ever before, especially while watching others lay under the sun while you desperately need to finish schoolwork to get the grades you’re striving for.
People always say that the rest of the semester moves fast after spring break, which is true, but seven weeks is no small amount to coast through, especially with many of the heaviest-weighted assignments still on the horizon.
It takes work to find the motivation to tackle the post-break blues, but there are several things that I have found help me with this. I am a strong believer in balance, and these small tips and tricks help me to both enjoy my last few weeks of the year while accomplishing my goals. Hopefully they can help you, too.
- Take Advantage of the Warm Weather
-
Rather than fighting the urge to be outside instead of completing schoolwork, I work with it. There are so many great outdoor spaces on campus and downtown. My personal favorite is the little table outside Vibe Coffee, but there are so many spaces outside.
Some great spots include the on and off-campus Paneras, the tables by the HUB and the base of HUB Lawn by the BBH and HHD buildings, outside the Business Building/Saxbys, by the dorms and dining halls, and almost anywhere you look if you walk around campus for a bit.
You don’t have to choose between spending time photosynthesizing outside and finishing your work. Just come prepared with a fully charged laptop/iPad and consider whether you need a table to spread out at or if a bench will suffice.
Trying to find the motivation to sit in a building and do work is hard, but getting ready to go sit in the sun and enjoy a beautiful day is much easier.
- Dress for Springtime
-
I believe in the “look good, feel good, do good” mindset. It’s all about the intention you set for the day.
For me personally, if I go to class from 8-12:30 in sweatpants and a sweatshirt, I will feel like I am dressed for bed the entire time. As soon as classes are over, I’ll want to rush right back to my bed and nap for an hour before work, which I simply don’t have time for.
However, if I get up and put on a sundress or just a cute top and jeans, I feel dressed to be productive. It’s all about my initial intention for the day. If I get up and dress in a way that makes me feel both comfortable and cute, I feel more ready to push through a long day of classes, work and extracurriculars.
Spring is also a really interesting time for weather in Pennsylvania. Sometimes it’s 30 degrees in the morning, 65 and sunny by noon, and back to 30 by the time the sun goes down. Dressing for the weather can really help me to get through the day and enjoy any time outside I can soak up.
For any out-of-state students who haven’t quite adjusted to crazy Pennsylvania weather yet, I highly recommend layered outfits. Thin spring jackets are a must–you need something to keep you warm at the beginning and end of the day but that you can take off for the warmest part of the afternoon.
- Shift Your Mindset
-
After getting back from spring break, I always need to take a moment to adjust my thinking about the rest of the semester. I need to remind myself that unfortunately we are not that close to summer break and that although it is something to be excited for, I need to focus on where I am now.
After that, I try to reframe my thinking about the semester. Now that we are back from break, it can only get better from here.
It’s getting warmer, which makes the walks to class and time doing schoolwork so much better. In general, the warmth just improves my mood and keeps me so much more productive and motivated.
It’s also starting to get light earlier in the morning and staying light later into the evening. Soon, I will not be waking up in the dark and coming home in the dark. Getting out of bed is so much easier when you can hear the birds and see the sunlight streaming in through the blinds.
Eventually, I’ll be able to come home after all of my extracurriculars and it may still be light enough for me to take a walk or enjoy a few more minutes outside before it gets dark. This makes the day so much better.
I also try to remind myself that even though I am busy and stressed, being here is a privilege and an honor. I have worked hard to have the opportunity to student teach and to take these classes. I have fought tooth and nail for scholarships to be able to afford these classes, so I need to be present in these classes.
I worked hard to get to where I am in my extracurriculars and to be a student leader. Even on days when I am overwhelmed, reminding myself of that helps motivate me.
I chose to do this and I earned my place here, and I have learned so much and gotten so much out of my experiences. There are people depending on me that believe in my ability to do my job, so it is my responsibility to them to do my job.
Framing work as “I get to do this assignment as a learning experience for my future career” versus “I have to finish this assignment for class” creates a huge difference in motivation for me. When I can apply what I am learning to my future education career and picture my own classroom and students, I am so much more motivated and in a mental space to learn.
However you can do this in your own classes, try. Even if it’s just a gen ed, try to picture how this information could make you a better, more well-rounded person. It’s not always easy, but it’s helpful.
Being at this school, taking these difficult classes and having this busy schedule is an opportunity that many people would love to have. When I remember that, I find the strength to finish whatever I need to push through.
- Optimize Your Space
-
When I come home to a cluttered apartment, it only heightens my anxiety about everything else already cluttering my brain. But when I come home to a clean space, it feels like a little corner of peace in the midst of all the other chaos.
Spring cleaning is the real deal. Opening up the windows, playing music, and just tidying up my space every few days makes such a difference for my mental health.
My apartment is my cozy, happy place and I use this space to my advantage. When I do schoolwork at home, I always make myself a drink (chai or coffee if it’s before 3 p.m. and decaf tea or hot chocolate after), open my window, turn on my fairy lights, put a candle on my candle warmer and make a nice space at my desk to work.
Having this space helps so much with motivation. When I don’t feel like I have a task list of chores like dishes, laundry, and making the bed running through my head, I can focus my whole attention on what I need to get done for my organizations, my classes, student teaching or my job.
If nothing else, take it one space at a time. Just clear everything off your desk and open a window. Make sure you have one space that is set aside and dedicated just to your work.
It makes a huge difference.
- Find Your Playlist(s)
-
I have specific work/study playlists that put me in a focused mindset. I personally struggle with listening to music with lyrics while I try to work, so I am a fan of looking up YouTube playlists with peaceful classical music.
I love my YouTube playlists with oddly specific titles like “nostalgic for a fairy tale you were once in,” “you’re falling in love with someone you can’t have,” and “you’re writing love letters in an ancient library during autumn.” There’s a whole subsection of videos like them on YouTube with pictures of classical art and really beautiful, peaceful instrumental music with lots of piano and strings.
I also am an ASMR girly myself, and although I know not everyone is, I highly recommend Sarah Lavender ASMR for anyone who is a fan. I like gentler ASMR with brushing sounds, pages turning and candles crackling. She does an amazing job with that style of ASMR.
In general, it’s important to find some sort of music or background noise that you use only for work. Every time I put on one of those videos in the background, I’m immediately in a focused mindset.
- Make Time for Yourself
-
It’s. All. About. Balance.
You cannot be productive all the time. It is literally impossible. And besides, that’s not what college is all about.
Take the time you need to do whatever work you need to do for classes, work, and your organizations. But set limits. Give yourself two hours a day to work, then have the rest of the night to do whatever you want to do.
Spend time with friends, even if you’re tired. Just have a chill movie night or play “Jackbox” together to unwind. If you’re 21, go sit outside at Cafe or play pool in Champs.
Go put on a face mask and watch an episode of a show or read a book. Paint, sing, bake, go on a run, play a video game, play an instrument, knit, draw, whatever it is you like to do. But make the time for it, for you.
It’s not selfish to say no. This is something I grapple with every day, but you do not have to say yes to everything people ask you for help with, every hangout with friends, and every extra task put on your plate.
You cannot be a great student or leader if you’re not giving yourself time to refresh. You will constantly be walking around with an empty cup and nothing else to give unless you take the time to fill it.
If you want to be productive during the day, you need to refresh and you also need to let yourself sleep. If you are walking around in a brain fog from burnout or lack of sleep, you simply will not be able to work to the standard that you’re holding yourself to and you won’t be able to work as efficiently.
This causes a vicious cycle where your responsibilities take longer, leaving you less time to relax, refresh, or sleep and you stay in a state of burnout and exhaustion. You need to make time for you, above all else.
I hope the rest of your semester is all that you hope it will be. Good luck with everything. You’ve got this!