If you’re like me, Spring semester is hard in the first place. You’re tired, all your energy and motivation is left behind in Fall semester and you are just ready for SUMMER. When it gets towards the end of the semester, things just get 10 times harder. So I wanted to propose a few little things that might help bring you out of that slump. Now, now, now I know what you’re thinking: I can’t do anything!! I have a 12-page paper due tomorrow I haven’t started!! Trust me, little things can make a huge difference.
1.) Get some sleep
Ah, ah, ah, no excuses. Sleep. You need it. It’s not a myth. There is scientific evidence that if you stay up late before an exam trying to study instead of going to bed earlier and getting enough sleep, you retain less knowledge and leads to lower test scores.
2.) Set deadlines
If you set definite deadlines for yourself and block off time on your google calendar or whatever organizational tool you might use, you are less likely to blow it off for later. Also, it doesn’t have to be this: okay, I’m gonna sit down from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM and write this paper and do nothing else. No! That will just set you up for failure. Work 1-2 hours max then take a break to eat a snack, take a walk, indulge on social media, then get right back to it.
3.) Clean environment, happy life
Now, you don’t have to be a total neat freak for this one but I notice when I walk into my room after a long day and my room has just reached that point where I can’t stand it any longer; it causes me more stress and internal screaming. This is not an excuse to procrastinate that paper though, but, it’s easy enough to take 20 minutes to pick up those clothes you washed two weeks ago, put them away, throw away all the Starbucks coffee cups and various trash. Also, make your bed. Yes, I know I sound like your mom now but it takes less than 5 minutes to do a even decent job. Not to mention afterwards, you step back and look at your room, it leaves you with a sense of, “wow, that wasn’t hard.” and lowers your stress levels. This also helps you feel accomplished because you did something!
4.) Try not to always eat out
Being a student is hard, I know. You are always on the go to class, group meetings, projects, and that doesn’t even include work. However, if you have the capability to cook dinner or have a fresh-cooked dinner, it’s amazing. Your body will thank you for taking a break from those (while delicious) In-n-Out burgers, McDonald’s nuggets, and Taco Bell burritos. I know it’s not the fast, cheap, nor convenient option, but it makes a difference. Even if you’re able to stop by Target and get one of those already cooked rotisserie chickens, maybe some frozen vegetable you can steam in the microwave and rice or potatoes, it doesn’t cost much. Maybe about $15? The price of going to almost any fast-food restaurant and it’s better for you!
5.) EAT!
Speaking of eating good food sometimes, don’t forget to make time to actually, y’know, eat. Your body is the only one you get and here’s an insider tip: it likes food! I often hear students say that they haven’t eaten in 12, 20, 24 hours. What do you mean!? You are starving yourself for no good reason. If you starve your body, you starve your brain. Remember that. If you decide you don’t get to have dinner until you’ve written at least five more pages or completed all your homework, then you are setting yourself at a deficit. It will take you longer to complete your goal than it would take to interrupt your current activity to eat and return to it. I am constantly looking out for my roommates and making sure they eat because I know they don’t make it a priority. It deserves to be a priority!
6.) Sunshine!
Do you notice how much happier you are when it’s sunny and warm (read: warm, not hot) outside? Something about the sun just puts us in a better mood and we can get our daily dose of Vitamin D (haha, no, not a penis joke, sorry). Maybe one of the breaks you take between writing your paper is just to go outside and walk down to the mailbox and come back. This way you can get some fresh air and sun. It’s not entirely evil, and I would know because the sun looooves to burn me. If you aren’t able to get outside for whatever reason though, opening a window is great too. This way, you get fresh, natural light as opposed to the harsh, synthetic light of a light bulb.
7.) Don’t deprive yourself
Social interaction is crucial to the human psyche. We are innately social creatures even if you are more of an introvert than an extrovert. So, be sure that you aren't 100% isolating yourself and never seeing the outside of your room or the library or where you best study/work. Don't forget to allow yourself time to interact with other people. It will give your brain a break a mini distraction. However, also, don't waste or give your time to toxic people. You know what I'm talking about. Those people that if you're left alone with them longer than 5 minutes you find your stress and anxiety levels rising. That isn't a positive interaction and not what you deserve.
8.) There is more to life than caffeine
Now I know I'm one to talk with my daily morning coffee and soda throughout the day, BUT, take a break from the caffeine. Drink some juice. Water. Milk? Alco-no, no, that's for after when you've earned a break (and of course of legal age!). If all you drink is coffee or soda, after a while you will find yourself just feeling lousy and it's because of all the crap in those drinks. What I do, personally, is make sure I always have a case of water and if I can, I treat myself with a bit of nostalgia. Lately I've been buying Capri - sun which is perfect for when you're on the go and don't have time to pour yourself a glass of juice or whatever. Plus, come on, it's Capri - sun. Who can say no to Capri-sun?
9.) Know what environment is best for you when you get down to work
Okay, time for a not fun one. It's the end of the semester, you know you have to buckle down at some point and get your work down. Half the battle is being able to do that in a productive atmosphere. This is where only you know you best. Do you work better in a completely silent library or does the thought of that make you go insane? Wherever your niche is, you should have figured it out by now and if not you should hop on finding that out. Working in the right environment is one of the keys to success for any class or just being productive in general.
10.) Set goals and rewards
This kind of goes along the lines of setting deadlines. When you set deadlines, you should also have some sort of reward in mind for when you reach that goal. Having incentives, no matter how small will increase the likelihood for you to continue to set deadlines and goals and reach them. As I talked about before, the goal could be something small likes getting to go take a short walk outside or even just down to the mailbox. For some people, if they have to read articles or anything and they really don’t like it, they will incentivize themselves with food or candy. For example, “If I read this page, I get to eat an M&M” or something along those lines.
11.) Breathe, you will survive
Last, but most certainly not least, breathe! It’s not just you feeling this way, many people experience this slump. I experience this slump and I am not too proud to admit it. You will make it through this and come out successfully on the other side. If you have no one who has bluntly told you this today, I will. I BELIEVE IN YOU. You can do this. You got that exam. Your paper is fire. Your outfit looking fly today. So go out there and get it because I know you got this.
