We all know those days: you wake up on Saturday morning, and you feel like you are going to get so much work done and be stress-free in time for your weekend movie or party with your friends. But, the weekend slump begins to fall on your shoulders, and six hours later you realize how little you have gotten done. Since Saturday is almost gone, you decide to take a break from your “stressful” day and go out, even though you know that you shouldn’t and end up waking up late Sunday morning (or afternoon), tired and stressed out because you have not finished any of your work.

So, what can you do to prevent these unproductive weekend patterns? First off, start by SLEEPING! Sleep is one of the most underrated activities in college, so make sure to aim for those 8 hours of sleep, especially on Friday and Saturday nights, so that you can wake up and be refreshed and ready to start the day. The week is filled with exams, late night study sessions, and very little sleep, so try to catch up on your zzzz’s during the weekend so that your Monday morning classes will be a little easier to wake up to.

Next, be sure to have a healthy and filling breakfast! A great idea for breakfast in the morning on a cool Saturday morning is a hearty bowl of oatmeal. The fiber and low glycemic index from the oats will allow you to be satisfied, without resulting in a sugar crash that would occur when eating foods such as a sugary muffin. Eating breakfast is one of the most important things you can do to make sure you are focused and awake to start your work, so do not skip the most important meal of the day just because it is the weekend.

A favorite tactic of mine is to make a list of priorities for each day of the weekend. Even making a schedule of times to do each assignment can help any college student stick to their deadlines and be more of a time-efficient person. The act of making schedules can be incorporated into your weekly schedule as well, resulting in a less stressful weekend and a less stressed out you.

Lastly, putting yourself first is important in being productive, whether it is on the weekend or not. Friends will be there to hang out with on the weekends, but allowing yourself to finish what you have to do before will allow you to be focused on your friends instead of the impending work at home. So, no matter if you are studying for three exams in the upcoming week, or just want to get ahead on some textbook readings, this tips and tricks should help you to use your weekend to your advantage, and allow yourself to relax, while still making the end of the week a focused and productive time.