Surviving March Madness (Midterm-wise)

Ailie Steir
Delta Gamma

Coming back to school in March is exciting – spring is coming so the weather is getting nicer, you start to finalize your summer plans and there is a lot of end-of-the-year activities to do. What I didn’t realize upon returning from spring break was how much work I would have to do.  

It is the final weeks of the year and every class all of a sudden dumps lots of projects, papers, exams and readings that need to get done before the semester is over. 

Personally, I am freaking out because I am the world’s worst procrastinator (self-proclaimed, of course). I decided to take it upon myself to make some resolutions to help myself get work done as well as allowing myself to appreciate the end of the semester fully without completely stressing out. 

Resolution 1

Stay off of Facebook. I am on it all the time, even when I am doing homework. It is bookmarked on my Internet window and it is too easy to click on when I want a five minute break from whatever I am doing. Of course, this five-minute break always ends up turning into a 20-minute break, and I slowly get more and more behind on the piles of work I need to complete. 

Almost any college student understands this situation – Facebook takes up so much of our lives and social interactions. So instead of turning to Facebook for a distraction, I am going to listen to a song or grab a quick snack. Both of those activities have a time limit (however long the song or snack lasts). If I’m feeling really ambitious, I may even remove the tab from my Internet Explorer. By avoiding the black hole that is Facebook stalking, I will hopefully be able to get much more done a lot quicker. 

Resolution 2

Use my planner. My mom got me a day planner when I went off to college as a sort of going away gift, but I didn’t actually get around to using it until this semester. I didn’t realize how much stuff I would need to keep track of in school, and writing it all down helps make the load seem much more manageable. To help make sure I stay sane, I will write down each of my papers and exams and when I am going to study for them. 

Resolution 3

Reward myself. Instead of wasting time online in between every sentence I write, I decided I am going to set goals. For example, if I am writing an essay, I have to get a page-and-a-half done in an hour. If I can do that, I can go online for a short period of time and take a mental break. It may sound stupid and lame, but I’ve tried this before and it does encourage you to meet that deadline. 

There are plenty of other little tricks that I can try in order to stay on task during March and April. My friends can change my password to my social media sites, I can disconnect the Internet or I can switch up my studying techniques. It is important to finish out the year strong even as the weather gets nicer and everyone gets spring fever. Hopefully I will survive all the work I have and enjoy the end of my freshman year at Michigan! 

Ailie is a freshman and is undecided on a major. You may contact her at arsteir@umich.edu.