We are quickly approaching finals week, end of the year projects and papers, and of course, tests. We are stressed to the max and to top it all off, we have zero motivation. We have been going at it since August and while winter and spring break were in the mix, they simply were not long enough. It's safe to say that we are ready for a couple school-free months. The awkward part is, we're already checking out and school is still checked in.
Most of us had "senioritis" in high school. It was that time during second semester where we had no ambition to do anything and we had no desire to be at school. It's very much so like that except now our grades actually matter and giving up would be a terrible decision. Netflix is beginning to haunt us more so than usual, and napping has become part of the daily schedule. Avoiding these distractions are getting more and more difficult as the weeks dwindle down.
I have yet to meet someone who isn't ready for the semester to be over, so you aren't alone. Luckily, finishing out a semester strong when you have no motivation is still doable.
Taking things day by day is something that is really helpful. Finish the assignments that are due during that given week and don't look forward to the next week. It just ends up being more stressful and overwhelming. As far as studying goes, schedule a small amount of time to study each day for a couple weeks leading up to a big test. That way you are preparing yourself, but you aren't having to stay up super late the night before to cram. That makes the end of the semester slump much more miserable.
Basically, the more ready we are for the semester to be over, the more we procrastinate. Even when I tell myself that I am going to get something done right away, I still find myself frantically submitting the assignment 10 minutes before the due time. Getting it done earlier just makes everything much less stressful and you can spend the time that you would be spending on the assignment doing something that you actually enjoy.
Finals are a whole different issue. Everyone stresses studying ahead of time and not cramming at the last minute, but with so many other things going on right now, it's hard to add even more studying into your schedule. Study as much as you need to, but remember to reward yourself after a good study session. If you keep overwhelming yourself with schoolwork, you will just end up getting burnt out and your finals will be even more miserable than usual.
This may be the most stressful time of the semester, but we are so close to being done. Remember to take things one day at a time and know that you are not alone - everyone is struggling in some way, shape, or form. Keep your head up and finish strong!
