Springtime is arguably one of the best times of the year—the sun stays up later, the air gets warmer, flowers start blooming, and life appears to have a new meaning to it once the dreariness and darkness of Winter Quarter has ended (I love winter, but the seasonal depression at UW is tangible). With these developments comes the looming presence of summer, and I know that for me, this aspect often makes school nearly impossible to focus on. As much as I love school, I find it difficult not to fall into a mindset of “making it to the end,” and the burnout of being a student appears to make itself astonishingly clear with the end of Spring Break (a light taste of summer) and the subsequent onset of Spring Quarter. In order to make it through the last few months of school remaining energized and goal-oriented, I want to share a few simple tricks that help me stay focused and engaged!
Even though the quarter has just started, I have found myself already struggling with staying productive and on top of my assignments. To combat this problem and the summer mentality, I have made it a priority to have all of my homework done by a certain time at night. This way, I do not allow myself to have social or personal time until I feel I have completed the work necessary to be able to enjoy it worry-free (of course, this has exceptions—sometimes you just need a mental break, and friends or Netflix time is the best way to accomplish this). I have also made it a priority to have a set schedule during my day; I like to follow morning routines to get my day started off on the right foot, I keep myself busy with classes, work, and friends, and I have a specific nighttime schedule. This allows me to compartmentalize all of my work and push myself to complete any outstanding assignments as I purposefully allow for a designated “schoolwork time.” A third and final way that I make sure I stay present during the final quarter of school is by reminding myself that I will not be back on campus for three months after the start of summer. This allows me to appreciate moments with my friends more, more fully enjoy my classes and homework, and recognize how lucky I am to be able to attend a university (this, in turn, helps me combat a mentality of “sucking it up” or “making it through”).
As exciting as Spring Quarter is, I find I often take the time for granted in expectation of summer. This year, I will be practicing specific actions to try and directly combat these sentiments. I hope these tips were helpful, and I hope that this Spring Quarter is one in which you are able to fully participate in classes, school events, schoolwork, and social life. Best of luck!