The peak of the semester is officially upon us. Spring break is already over, and finals season is approaching in less than a month. During this busy time, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by the academic pressure and wish that the next break would come sooner. However, returning from vacation can also be the perfect reset for a successful semester finale. Here are my four best tips for leveraging your rest to maximize success this semester.
- Make your bed
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Each day during the semester’s final stretch needs to begin right, and making your bed is an easy way to accomplish that. Taking this action first thing in the morning initiates productivity that will inspire the rest of your day.
According to an article by Patient, making your bed provides numerous mental health benefits, such as improving mood, organization, and sleep. The article states, “While your brain and body might try to resist making the bed, engaging your mind and bringing its attention back under your control can help you develop more self-discipline.”
Many college students struggle with a lack of motivation and procrastination, which causes them to lose control of their academic responsibilities and experience more stress. However, committing to making your bed before even touching schoolwork is a proactive way of taking control of these threats before they take control of you.
- Clarify Deadlines
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When returning for the rest of the semester, it can be helpful to understand what is left for you to accomplish. Creating a deadline list of all of your remaining assignments and exams can help you develop a realistic action plan to complete everything.
The list is not just an end-of-semester tool; it can also be utilized at the beginning of a semester to track assignments through the entire academic term. My list is an Excel spreadsheet, but these lists can take many forms depending on preference. My spreadsheet includes two simple columns: “assignment” and “due date.”
To create the list, I input the assignment names and deadlines into my spreadsheet using my course syllabi. Then, I choose a color for each course and highlight the associated assignments in that color before sorting the spreadsheet into chronological order.
Having this list of assignments in one place eliminates surprises and allows you to break down the tasks into daily efforts. Plus, it results in a satisfying checklist that creates great task management.
- Incorporate movement breaks
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If you look around a college campus, you’re guaranteed to see students sitting down and working on laptops. While focusing on our studies must be prioritized to succeed, implementing movement breaks will help us work more effectively.
According to an article by the University of Michigan LSA Technology Services Department, incorporating movement breaks into physical or virtual learning experiences can help maintain attention spans and increase the ability to digest new content. Similarly, implementing your movement breaks, even briefly during work sessions, can help stimulate more productivity and retention in your studies.
During future work sessions, schedule times to get up and move! The type of movement can vary based on the person. Some movements include walking around campus or doing a few stretches.
Incorporating this activity will help you feel refreshed and allow you to make the most of your study time.
- Eliminate DoomScrolling
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Another common habit college students tend to fall into that can deter academic goals is scrolling on social media. We all have done it: when our assignments get uncomfortable, taking a “quick break” on the phone feels easy.
It’s a nice relief in the moment, but suddenly, several hours of productivity are lost to doomscrolling. Ultimately, we become more stressed with remaining tasks that haven’t gotten any easier.
It is easier said than done to stop doomscrolling, especially with the current popularity and accessibility of social media platforms. I have found a few strategies personally helpful in breaking this habit.
Leaving my phone outside my workspace has helped reduce my temptation to access social media. Plus, keeping it zipped inside my backpack or on a charger out of sight forces me to stay away.
Additionally, when I become stuck in my work and need a solution, I lean into other beneficial break activities that I know won’t throw me off. This is when I utilize my third tip and enjoy some movement or even relocate to a different work environment to get back on track.
Returning from a break may not be favorable, but refocusing on academic goals does not have to be so daunting. With these four tips, you can manage the work more efficiently and finish the semester strong!