Question: Dear Miss Manitou, I want school to end! Spring break was great. Too great, in fact. How do I stay motivated for the last two months of school?
Answer: I cannot even begin to count on both hands the number of times I have heard this statement in ALL of my classes. Spring break was much needed; everyone was exhausted from all of our schoolwork. It was almost torture though, wasn’t it? Spring break gave us a taste of summer, no school and less worry. Coming back to a heavy load of homework, studying, exams and papers seems like torture.
So, how do we get out of our grumpy attitudes and get back into the groove of classes? (Ladies, I am preaching to myself here as well). One of the things that have helped me get back into the transition is time management. It is totally unrealistic to begin non-stop schoolwork the minute after getting back from a wonderful vacation. The trick for me is tricking myself. What do I mean by that? If you manage your time correctly, you can spend free time outside, hanging out with friends, watching a movie, etc. and still finish all of your assignments. All it takes is a little organization. If you don’t like organization, I have no idea how you survive in life! And I’m here to help! With 4 helpful steps:
Step #1: Write down in a planner, or on a piece of paper, the number of things that you need to complete.
Step #2: Organize the number of things you need to get done by priority. If you have a paper to finish tomorrow, don’t do the reading assignment for Friday (even if the reading assignment sounds way more appealing).
Step #3: Estimate the amount of time that each assignment will take. Most of us know how fast our reading skills are, how long we take to write papers, and how knowledgeable we are on material that are on a test.
Step #4: Spread it all out!!! Don’t have a time blocked out for three hours of homework! That is just overwhelming and we usually procrastinate for an hour of it anyways, especially after Spring Break when everyone is posting pictures online and throwing a Frisbee around outside. Mix things up a little! After class, take an hour to do the first thing on your priority list. If you can do more, great. Otherwise, feel free to stop! Go work out for an hour, go online, get something to eat with friends, get outside and enjoy Minnesota sunshine (may I be the first to say…. FINALLY!). Then take another hour (or longer). Then take another break. Repeat this step over and over again.
Obviously you know your schedule. You’ll know if you can’t afford an hour break – or if you can! The point I am trying to make is that it is totally normal to have a lack of motivation. Don’t give up! Get back into a groove, take plenty of breaks, and you’ll get there. We are Oles, after all. We love learning and doing well in school. Let that be your motivation.
xoxo
Miss Manitou