Similar to a midlife crisis, but distinct all the same. A little over halfway through the semester each one of us has likely asked ourselves, “What the hell am I doing?” Classes are starting to vamp up into the harder material as you get more and more lost in the content. Maybe you are put down by a not-so-great midterm grade. You’re becoming increasingly more willing to procrastinate on each assignment. As a result, you’re at a loss of motivation to even continue trying. Whether you’re at this particular point in the semester or not, we’ve all been there. Here’s how to motivate yourself to get out of the mid-semester rut and ace those nearing finals.
Find a New Study Spot
Nothing gets me more inclined to get work done than finding a beautiful, calm, and quiet study spot. Especially now that it is warm and sunny outside, studying outside in the beautiful outdoors is an amazing option. With the sun shining down and the birds chirping around you, you’re bound to be in a better mood to get all those assignments done.
Make a Schedule for Yourself
While this may appear annoying at first, having a set schedule for each thing you need to complete is a great way to motivate yourself to check each one of those things off your list. If you plan out precisely when you will do each task, you’ll know that you’ll have the time to complete it all and you’ll be more likely to get them done ahead of time. This limits the dreaded procrastination and will make you feel on top of your game.
Forget All Previous Grades
Whether you did good, bad, or just about average on all your exams to this point, just forget about them and look forward. This will encourage you to try no matter how you performed previously. What’s most important is the finish line, so just aim on getting there at a good place.
Treat Yourself
Whether it be a nice movie night in, a walk to a nearby ice cream shop, a nice mid-week dinner out with friends, don’t forget that you deserve some pleasure! These breaks are a necessity for your mental health and they will only help you to complete your work when it’s time to do so. Finding the balance between fun and schoolwork is a hard thing to do, but I firmly believe that finding the correct balance is the trick to getting out of that mid-semester crisis.