What is the Second Semester Slump?
A clean slate, a fresh start, a new semester. With the start of the new year, we can leave all of our troubles from last semester in 2024 and turn over a new leaf. However, this can sometimes be easier said than done. The thought of the new semester ahead can be quite daunting for some. Now that I am in my fifth year of being in St Andrews, Iâm no longer the fresh eyed and bushy tailed fresher that I was 4 years ago, and starting my final semester of university is giving me an extreme case of the Sunday Scaries.Â
What I am Doing to Fall Back in Love with St AndrewsÂ
As this is the fifth time I have returned from winter break since arriving at university, the town is once again, the same as when I left it (other than the Ruleâs most recent makeover). To beat the boredom, this semester I have decided that I need to do things differently. I am starting societies that I never thought I would, saying yes to things, and meeting lots of new people.Â
Last week I went to two dance give-it-a-goâs. Everyone was incredibly friendly and hyped each other up, turning something that I thought could be embarrassing into something that made me feel more confident than I could ever imagine. Needless to say, I have now bought my dance membership. My housemates and I have also made a bucket list of the things we always say that we want to do in St Andrews but never get around to. So far it includes: a trip to the East Sands sauna, going on a group beach run and out for a meal at Little Italy. Finally, after years of forcing myself into the cold and rain for runs, I am turning towards pilates and yoga for the winter months instead. Even if I have a busy day ahead, starting each morning with a LivAlligned pilates workout and enjoying a loaded yogurt bowl makes me excited to get up.
Academic Motivation
One of my New Year’s resolutions is to regain some passion in my degree again. Cramming in hundreds of flashcards for exams takes the fun out of the subject, making it even harder to come back to after a long break from the books. When I am in need of academic motivation, I usually start to switch my usual podcasts and YouTube videos for motivational influencers. The regular line up includes Ecem Gundogan, on Youtube and the Mel Robbins podcast. Of course, sometimes this type of content can be overwhelming and itâs important to realise when the positive turns to the negative. Emma Chamberlains mentioned on her podcast, âAnything Goesâ, that she has started to time block her workdays for improved productivity. This way, not only do you ensure that you are doing the work you set out to do in the day, but you also stop yourself from working into the night. This semester, I have started this, and as a self-proclaimed âproductive procrastinatorâ, this is working really well for me. By this I mean that, whenever I sit down to do a task, I think of tens of other tasks I need to do and I jump between them all, never really getting into the zone. But now if I have perfectly planned everything into a schedule, I follow my day like I would a recipe, and focus on each task at a time.
Youâve Got This!
A big source of motivation can sometimes be closer to home than we think. The other students in St Andrews inspire me every day to do my best, to find new ways of looking at things, and to get through hard days when all I really want to do is eat snacks on the sofa with an episode of Friends on. Hype each other up for the second and final semester of the academic year so that we can be all proud of ourselves come June. Go beat the second semester slump; I believe in you!