Summer break seems like forever away as we struggle through our midterms and finals. It can be so easy to feel unmotivated during these last few weeks. Everyone seems to be counting down the days until summer and it’s almost impossible to focus on classes. However, ending the quarter strong is do-able and your future self will definitely thank you for it.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed and extremely unmotivated, the first step is to ask yourself why. Are you burnt out? Are you working yourself too hard? Contrary to popular belief, feeling unmotivated doesn’t always mean that you’re lazy. Maybe you’ve been working too hard during the start of the quarter, and are feeling the effects now. If this is the case, take a step back and do a quick check in on your mental health. It can be so easy to forget about these things as you grind for your exams, so you might have to make conscious efforts to recognize these factors. If you are feeling burnt-out, take a break and stop everything. While this might seem like a counter-productive effort, studying in a negative mental-state will do more harm than good. Take a quick break and remove yourself from whatever stressful situation you are facing. Take a deep breath and try to relax as much as possible. This break can last 15 minutes or even up to a few days. Whatever your mind and body needs to finish the quarter on a strong note. Remember, that your mental wellbeing always comes first.
Even if you’re not feeling extremely burnt-out in the moment, it’s important to schedule little habits as a preventative measure to avoid burnout in the future. For example, schedule time in your daily routine to do something that you love or something that relaxes you. This can be a work out, yoga session, skincare routine or anything else that fills you with positivity. Make sure that these habits stick to your daily routine. Regardless of how overwhelming everything is, schedule these activities as your “me time” that lets you escape from all the stressful aspects of your life. Also, in continuation with the idea of positive energy, it’s important to surround yourself with good vibes and good people. Especially during these stressful times, try to avoid negativity when possible. Lean on your best friends, family and loved ones during these times. Talk to them about how you’re feeling. Even if they aren’t able to solve all your issues, sometimes just venting to someone or having a quick laugh with someone can get your mind off the current stressors in your life.
In terms of study habits, and I cannot stress this enough, start studying early. I know this might be difficult to do, but trust me, your future week 10 self will thank you for it. This doesn’t have to be that you start full-on studying right now. Start slowly and ease yourself into the revision process. Make a study guide or study schedule a few weeks before your exam. I find that making a strict schedule really helps me keep myself accountable and on track. Follow this schedule so that once week 10 and finals week rolls around, you won’t find yourself cramming until 4am in the morning. Not only is this a lot better for your mental health, it also will improve the quality of your studying. Being able to study efficiently and effectively is such an important skill to learn and definitely takes time to perfect. If it’s hard for you to manage your distractions, try to set a restriction on your laptop and phone to cut out social media or any other distractions.
Lastly, it’s always important to stay positive and look ahead to the future. Just remember that summer break is so close and you can do this! You’ve already dealt with almost one whole year of Zoom classes, midterms and exams. Make a list of everything you’re looking forward to in summer break and have that list close by when you’re feeling hopeless and stressed out. If it helps, also set yourself a countdown for how many days of school you have left.
Now comes the final push! Take these tips and absolutely crush those midterms and finals.