I know you're probably laying in bed chowing down the cheese-its and loading your new show on Netflix that you finally decided on. You have two exams in the next week, a research paper and a group project that you haven't started. Yet, here you are. Along with the majority of burnt out college students. But come on guys, we can do better than this. Don't give up hope, the Semester can still be salvaged, here's how to do so.
1. Plan Activities to Look Forward to As a Reward
Squad night out if you get all your work done on Wednesday? Girls day for brunch and manicures? Curling up in bed reading your favorite book? Plan any little thing that you can look forward to doing after you have completed your work, and you'll be that much more motivated to get all your work done.
2. Take an Entire Day to Get Yourself Organized
Organize everything. Even if being that OCD neat freak isn't your typical forte. Organize your receipts, your utensil drawer, the back of your closet. Organize your emails. Get rid of everything you can. This might sound crazy, but I promise, you will feel lighter.
3. Relax And Don't Feel Guilty For it
Plan a night each week completely for yourself. Do a mud mask, exfoliate your skin, paint your nails, light a candle and read a book. Pamper yourself, you deserve it. Having some time to recollect your thoughts will help you to continue to focus.
4. Schedule Out Your Assignments For the Rest of The Semester
Planning this ahead may seem overwhelming, but having a clear plan of what you should be working on and when, will cause you a lot less stress to come.
5. Set New Goals And Reassess
Even though it isn't the beginning of the semester you can still get back on track with any goals you may be lagging on. See where you are with the goals you made in September, and see if these are goals you still want to continue, or if you want to, go ahead and make some new goals. Making new goals will get you excited to finish the semester strong.
6. Evaluate Where You are in Your Classes-you can still salvage falling grades
Continuously check your grades. We all avoid looking at them from time to time (just like our bank accounts). But this is the last chance you have to see where you stand and do something about it. If you are behind you can still go see your professor and really focus on the rest of the assignments for the semester. But you can only do this if you know how you're doing in your class.
8. Make Sure You Still Go To Class
I know. It's hard. Nothing bad will immediately happen if you don't go. You can totally sleep in. You can totally have three more glasses of wine and be hungover instead of going to that 8 a.m. But don't. I know you want to, but please don't. You are wasting so much money just by missing one class. Everyone is getting up and doing it, and it is your responsibility to do so too. By going to class you'll feel less behind and therefore less overwhelmed by the semester. I promise you can do it.
9. Reconnect with people You Haven't Been Able to See
There are so many truly amazing people we meet in college, and unfortunately life gets in the way and we fall out of touch with these people. Please, please make the time to see them. You will feel so incredibly full by reconnecting with old relationships and will thus feel re-inspired for the semester.
11. Seek Help and Support if Needed
It is OKAY to need help. It is OKAY to be stressed out or have problems. We can not do everything alone, and that is OKAY. Getting help will enable you to fulfill all aspects of your life more successfully.
12. Know Your Perfect Study Space and Use it
Focusing is hard. Okay, maybe putting your phone away and turning off the group chat is near impossible. But there are certain places where we feel we are in work mode. Wether it be the library, or that cafe in the center of town. Use these spots often, as you will associate them with getting work done.
13. Plan Exact Study Times Like Appointments and Stick to it
Would you choose to study when you could binge watch the new season of American Horror Story of Netflix? Or eat the entire sleeve of Oreos in the kitchen? Probably not. By planning exact study times of what you will study, when and where, you are able to stick to this promise with yourself.
14. Stop Sleeping in
You know you aren't doing anything productive after midnight. So go to bed and get up early. You might not be a morning person, but by getting up early you can focus on the work that you need to get done. You will have a significant amount of more time in the day as compared to those that are sleeping in.
15. Spend Time Around Positive Influences
As good as it is to have friends who are entertaining and fun, it is also so important to surround ourselves with those that motivate us and keep us going. That friend that makes you excited to go out on Thursday should also make you feel proud about what you have achieved and urge you to keep going.
