There is undoubtedly one part of the semester that challenges college students the most. You might think that it’s finals week. I mean, that is hard, but I don’t know about it being the hardest. In my opinion, this award goes to the "lull." Often, the lull sneaks up on us and, before we know it, we’re sitting in the library and staring at a computer screen full of things to do, unable to justify doing a single thing. Here’s a convenient list to help you be sure that you’re in the middle of the lull and not just being lazy, because it can be hard to be certain.
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1. You have no impending exam swinging over your head like an axe held by a piece of dental floss.
There’s an exam. There’s always an exam. Now, however, there’s enough time until the exam that you’re not in full-on panic mode. There is not so much time that you can afford even one day of not looking over the material, but there's enough that you spend several hours per day convincing yourself of the idea that there is enough time. In fact, you could spend that amount of time studying and you’d probably be fine.
2. I would say that you’d know because you get sick, but we all know that you only get sick during the times when you cannot afford to get sick.
Here’s a real sign: You get further in your current favorite Netflix series than you could have ever dreamt of doing in such a short period of time. There is a point of no return after which that season must be finished and this probably cuts into your study time. Just erase that budgeted study time from your planner and rewrite it in tomorrow’s box.
3. While we’re on the subject, you have erased and rewritten so many tasks in your planner that you can barely read what’s currently written.
At this point, you deserve a high-five for still keeping up with your planner. Even if you destroy the evidence of any planned productivity, you still know about it and it hurts you.
4. You find any excuse that you can to avoid being productive.
Do you have a yoga class? Do you have an ENO date? Do you want Starbucks? Is there a meeting of club that you’ve never heard of in a building that you’ve never heard of during your most important mandatory class? Before you know it, it’s 11:00 at night and you’ve accomplished exactly 28 percent of what you needed to have done by this time, but your life is enriched, right?
5. Even the smallest distraction seems like a sign from a higher power that you can take a few minutes off.
There’s another photo series about Trump’s hairpiece? Is your room is dirty? Do you need a new pair of shoes? While you’re at it, this seems like a good time to make your birthday list. Ten months will go by before you know it. There’s a dog on campus? Actually, that’s an excusable distraction.
So, now you know how to be certain that you’re in the torturous period known as the lull. I wish you all the best. You can do it. Soon enough, when you’re lying on the beach, you’ll forget that you ever had to suffer through this. At least, I hope that's the case. Good luck, friend.
