April is almost over, meaning that one dreadful word and week is coming up. Finals. It haunts us, grabbing hold of us when we least expect it and biting down like a tick. The symptoms usually consist of stress, crying, anger, wanting to eat anything flooded in sodium, and bags beneath our eyes that could be considered "designer".
Yet that's not even the worst of it. Living in a dorm is much different than living with roommates in an apartment. A shared kitchen means a refrigerator and laundry machine to fight over. It means keeping the shared living place safe, having a clean bedroom, clothes washed, food cooked due to a draining wallet, and still needing to finish those five assignments within the week. This may not typically sound stressful before finals, but now, even the wind grates on my nerves.
I realized that there are a few helpful tricks to keep yourself motivated when preparing for finals.
1. Clean your room
Granted, it's not the easiest thing to do. I've been used to a messy room growing up, and that hasn't changed in college. But once a week, I give myself time to clean up everything and it's been a lifesaver. I don't have the embarrassment of living messily, but feel more motivated to keep getting things done.
2. Find a quiet place to study
Rowdy places don't help. Libraries are usually chill, but even those can get noisy when people come with their friends. My desk, bed, or sometimes a study room provided by apartments or dormitories are helpful. Worse case scenario: Buy a drink from a coffee shop or food from Panera and start hitting those books.
3. Music
Music is amazing. It opens the mind and ears and sometimes provides some stellar motivation. Earbuds are a blessing and rocking out to your favorite songs can help sometimes.
4. Go to the gym
It might be more time consuming, but believe me — when jogging, it's easier to get into that television show that you've been wanting to watch. Plus, running off the stress of finals is easier than eating a whole bag of potato chips or a whole container of ice cream. It clears the body and the mind.
5. Start writing or studying
Read through your books and take as much time as you need. Don't stress over the words. If you need to write, just write. Jot down all the words in your mind, but don't worry about how they're spelled or how they sound. That's for editing stages. Just write and take note of everything that you think is important. Focus on editing your work later.
Motivation is difficult. Some people might find it easier than I do, but I'm certain that everyone struggles with it at one point. The best advice I can give is this: JUST DO IT.
Just do it and get it done. Don't wait until the last minute or else it will suck even more.
