An Open Letter To The College Student Stuck At Their Desk | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

An Open Letter To The College Student Stuck At Their Desk

There's too many assignments to do and not enough time to get them done.

48
An Open Letter To The College Student Stuck At Their Desk
Pexels

Hey, you. Yes, yes, I am talking to you. How long has it been since you've looked up from your computer, textbook, or lecture notes? Yeah, a little too long. There is nothing worse than hearing your roommates make plans or talk about going out for the weekend and all you can think about is that huge English paper you have to turn in two days from now. Or even the two group presentations your professor just decided they wanted you to do.

It feels like its coming at you all at once; trust me, I get it. Like there are too many assignments to do and not enough time to get them done. And even when you start to think to yourself that you'll have the weekend to catch up, what you really do is catch up on much-needed sleep and that just adds, even more, worry and frustration.

But hey, at least your professor gave you until the end of Thanksgiving break to turn in the assignment. But come on, being home for the first time since move-in day for a whole week, how many students are actually going to have time to sit down and do an essay when they could just sit down and eat turkey? Or my personal favorite, green bean casserole.

The semester flew by way too fast, and at first, it feels like a good thing but then you realize all those assignments your professor said you didn't have to worry about until November, have become the first box you need to check off on your to-do list. So here are some tips for the not so good time managers, like myself, or the students struggling to keep on top of things before Thanksgiving dinner.

First of all, write out all your due dates and deadlines on a calendar. Having this visual will help you see a little more clearly when something is due and just how much time you have left to do it. This also helps take care of any built up anxiety you may have developed due to having everything feel like it was due on the same day.

Secondly, schedule certain days for only doing certain assignments. For example, if today is Monday and you have a Sociology test Wednesday, but a four-page paper due the following Monday, design your days accordingly to how much time you need for each. Study for your test all Monday and Tuesday and throughout the day Wednesday until the time of your exam. Then use the remainder of the week and the weekend to write your paper. Plan it out to where you feel like each assessment can be given one hundred percent, whether you only need two days to study or a whole week for a paper.

Lastly, have a designated time to be in bed. Nothing will get done if you stay up all night doing a million different assignments, especially if you have an exam the following day. Sleeping will keep you motivated for the next few days, along with eating a well balanced three meals a day and drinking plenty of water. Remember during these rough patches that school work can cause lots of stress, but taking care of your physical and mental health is the most important.

You will get through it, even if everything in your gut is telling you that you can't. Use rewards to keep yourself motivated, treat yourself to time with friends or spending an hour on your favorite hobby. Manage your time effectively to fit your personal needs, and you will be eating turkey in no time.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

13344
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

2542
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

1562
black marker on notebook

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments