Hours of reading, worksheets, and papers, all with exams just looming in the not so distant future, probably sounds pretty familiar- so does the feeling of drowning I assume. Each night, you think, “I’m fine. I’ll get it all done eventually.” By the time 12:30AM rolls around, you’ve only made it through one of your readings, you still have a paper due in two days, and an exam to study for- and that’s all still for the same class. You finally pass out at 3:30AM, and before you know it, your alarm is going off for the 9:30AM class you have across grounds.
This is obviously unsustainable. You spend your days hating yourself, and you don’t have enough energy to use the time between your classes to actually do work. You sit around the dining hall, complain about the impossible amount of work you still have to do, and eventually make it home to do the exact same thing again and again. No amount of eye serum can help the bags that have now permanently taken up residence under your eyes, and it feels like your brain has reached its maximum capacity.
I have a some suggestions.
Write down all of the upcoming weeks assignment on Sunday.
It’s going to be difficult to switch up your schedule in the middle of the school week, so this weekend I want you to sit down and right down your assignments for the week in a planner. It can be a regular paper planner or even just the Notes app. Once you can see exactly what you need to do, make a plan. If your professor is covering Chapter 4 on Tuesday and Thursday, have it done by class on Tuesday so you’re not prolonging any more than you need. Make sure work for Monday classes are done preferably before Sunday, so you don’t feel the time crunch.
Use anytime between classes to get work done.
Have an hour between classes? Do some reading. Have your first class at 12:30PM? Wake up earlier and do some work. Get home at 3:00PM and sit around until dinner? Do your work. You have more time than you think, and you can get schoolwork down with your sacrificing your physical or mental health.
Make sure your body is getting what it needs.
It is entirely unhealthy or productive to stay up into the early hours of the morning finishing work. We’re exhausting ourselves running around grounds all day and writing down every word that comes out of the professors mouth, the least you can do is give your body and mind a break. If you’re feeling so overwhelmed you want to cry- stop. Also, you need make sure you are giving your body the nutrients it needs. You CANNOT survive on iced coffee alone, and your body will hate you for it in the long run.