“Finish strong!” Likely, it’s a shout of encouragement that many of us have heard from our friends and family members as the end of the semester draws near. As lovely as the sentiment is, however, finishing strong can be difficult when you’re constantly exhausted and feeling burned out.
So, since I am currently both exhausted and burned out myself, here are three ways to survive the rest of the semester!
1. Balance School and Rest
This can often prove to be challenging. I, for instance, end up feeling guilty every time I rest for even an hour or two after a crazy busy day because I feel that I should be doing more homework – using my time more productively, as it were. However, rest is key to health and it’s much harder to participate in life if you’re sick.
2. Make Time For Friends
You may feel that you have zero time for a social life of any sort right now. But isolating yourself from your friends in order to spend all day locked up in the library cramming for exams and writing research papers is not the right answer. Yes, schoolwork is important. Cultivating friendships is also important, however. If you don’t feel that you have the time to truly “hang out” with a friend, then ask them to study with you! You can help encourage one another through the stressful points of studying and then share funny memes later.
3. Enjoy the Present
Perhaps one of the most mixed bag of emotions is the ending of a college semester – especially during your senior year. Part of you cannot wait for summer to arrive so that you can rest, recuperate, and not constantly have to study. The other part of you grows sadder by the day with the knowledge that you will soon be saying “goodbye” to your friends. While it’s important to look toward the future and envision what you want to do in life, it’s also important to remember to enjoy the present while it’s happening so you don’t look back later with regret.