Now that we are back from Thanksgiving break, we only have 3 more weeks left in the semester.
Holy Shitake mushrooms!
THREE weeks?
That’s really, really soon. I feel like I have a TON of stuff to do for my classes before they are over! And then the final!! How am I going to be able to cram all that into 3 weeks?
For me, returning from Thanksgiving break has always been stressful and not rejuvenating. Over the years I started using a few strategies to wind my head back on and focus on the finish line.
Number One: A little bit goes a long way
Take time throughout your day to do a little bit of work for class, or to study for the final. It is never too early to start studying (how nerdy does THAT sound??). In all reality, there is a lot of time in every single day that is spent just hanging out not being productive (hello Facebook! PShere is a blocker for Macs). Take a moment to hinder the looming idea of ‘do I have any notifications?’ and write one more paragraph in that final paper! Any chance you have to sit around should be a time to utilize for school (trust me, I KNOW it’s hard).
Number Two: Eat really, really well and SLEEP
While these are important to do during the entire semester, the last few weeks can really predict your success of Finals Week. Also, the quality of your food will affect you further down the road. Giving up going out to fast food restaurants and eating homemade goodness will give your whole body and attitude a positive adjustment. I am also a huge advocate for organic and local food, but even more so in this last stretch. So run to the People’s Food Co-Op (517 Harrison Street) or to Meijer’s organic section and grab a ton of bananas and yogurt and other healthy stuff that is really going to benefit you in the long run. And sleep!! Pulling all nighters SUCKS! Let’s not do that and save up on some snoozing time.
Number Three: Say NO!
I know it sucks to say no to your friends, but these last few weeks you need to concentrate. Maybe going out every Thursday, Friday, and/or Saturday needs to take a hiatus to get all this STUFF done! This one is a little tricky for me because a social life is really important to my mental health, and me but if you take one of those days off and dedicate it to school work, imagine how much more stuff you would have done! Need motivation? Get someone to work with you and use the buddy system!
Anyway- good luck on getting everything done! I know I’ll be painfully trudging my way through my final papers!
Until next time!
~Alyssa Schafer
Editor: Katelyn Kivel