We are only a few weeks away from the end of the spring semester. I’m sure a lot of you guys are feeling stressed to the max, and I agree. These last few weeks can be super overwhelming. Whether it’s research papers, final presentations, or even just final exams, it can all build up and feel impossible. Even though we all have a lot of work to do right now, it is also super important to take a break every once in a while. These are a few things that I do to relax and stay on top of my work towards the end of the semester.
When it starts getting closer to the end of the semester I like to look ahead on my syllabuses to see when my final exams, presentations, and papers are due. I then usually write down the dates in my planner so I know when everything’s due and I have time to study and prepare. I also like to start working on things in advance so they don’t feel so overwhelming towards the last one or two weeks of the semester. For example, if I have a final paper I usually outline it a few weeks ahead of time so that when it comes time to write the paper it will be much easier.
Once I have things for the end of the semester and I have spent long nights studying and completing assignments I like to take a break to unwind. It’s important to take breaks between assignments even if it’s just scrolling through Instagram for five minutes. If you do hours upon hours of work with no break, you’ll start to feel burnt out. This has happened to me on numerous occasions. I usually don’t like to take breaks but I have learned that if I don’t then my assignments are as good as they normally are and I don’t retain the information that I am studying.
Some things that I like to do for shorter breaks between assignments are to go through social media, have a snack, or even just getting up and walking around for a bit. These things have helped me refocus on my work and finish strongly. When it comes to taking longer breaks I like to facetime my friends, watch a few episodes of The Office on Netflix, or even just take a nap. I usually do this after finishing a long paper or just a long assignment in general. These things can help prevent burnout after a long day or even just in general.
I think we can all agree that this semester has been one of the most difficult that we have ever been through. With all the new changes to the college due to COVID and the online/hybrid classes, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. But the end is near! We only have a few more weeks until we can enjoy a well-deserved break from classes. So as the semester comes to an end, remember to take some time for yourself. Eat that chocolate chip cookie, watch that extra episode of Netflix, do something that you enjoy because you deserve it.