Spring break has officially ended and there are two months seperating us from summer. Wait – TWO months? With a long stretch of school without any break keeping us from freedom it almost seems impossible to stay motivated, especially with warmer weather enticing you to skip that boring class inside on a beautiful day. While our course load gets heavier, finals appearing in the horizon and the days getting sunnier, here are a few reminders to help you finish the semester as strong as you started (mainly so that your parents are happy with your grades and won’t bug you all summer).
1. Keep up your routine. Don’t switch up your routine since Janurary just because summer is closer. Continue your workout routines, sleeping patterns, eating habits, study routines and social-life routines. The only routine you should change is one that was negatively effecting your success last semester. Bottom line: if your routine was working before and making you happy and successful, don’t change it!
2. Reward yourself. Who doesn’t love a little positive reinforcement? After a long day studying for your next exam, treat yourself to a fun night with friends. After a hard workout, reward yourself with a refreshing (and healthy!) smoothie at the rec or a relaxing nap. After you aced your assignment, reward yourself with a trip to the mall or a big ice cream cone. You deserve it!
3. Don’t look too far ahead. Although summer is only two months away, that’s still a long time when you realize how much you have to complete by then. Take each week one at a time, stay organized, and make to-do lists for short-term as well as long-term assignments. The time will go by faster if you break it up into small chunks, and you will be more focused and successful during each individual week.
4. Combine the great weather and school work. Bring your homework outside on the Pentacrest during a beautiful, sunny day. Take a jog or go for a walk around Iowa City instead of staying cooped up inside the Rec. Study for your next exam with a coffee outside of Starbucks or the Java House. Find a way to combine work and pleasure so that you have the best of both worlds.
5. Soak it all in. Whether you’re a freshman, sophomore, junior or a senior, you only have two months left of the school year that you will never get back. Instead of wishing for the next two months to go by faster, make every day count. Use the next eight weeks to create memories that you will remember forever at a wonderful university like UI. Four years go by faster than you think.