The last month in the semester rarely passes without presenting some unexpected — and for most of us at this point, unwelcome — tests of our stamina. As if there weren’t enough tests to contend with already. We begin to bargain for our sanity: If I stop trying so hard for A’s, will it really hurt my GPA that much? Is it too late to trade in my grade for a pass/fail? Maybe I should hold off on applying for that internship… there’s just so much paperwork involved.
The frustration of maybe having fallen a little behind, coupled with the emotional whiplash of on-again, off-again warmer weather patterns, starts to wear on a student. Add a dash of no-vacation-for-the-rest-of-the-term bitters and it’s enough to make anyone wake up with a headache Monday morning. Don’t squander your final weeks of potential productivity — here are a few mid-semester mantras to help you soldier bravely on:
Prioritization is the key to your success.
Success is in the eye of the beholder — decide what “successful” means to you, and don’t settle for less. You’d only regret it.
Procrastination is your enemy. Re-watching Season One of Twin Peaks may seem like a defensible coping mechanism now, but those 48-minute intervals will be more useful to Future You three weeks down the road, writing your final paper.
If you start to get overwhelmed, ask for help. Pro tip: It is always better to do this before a due date rather than after it.
No amount of coffee will make up for too much lost sleep. Log sufficient hours at night to keep you productive during the day.
Treat yourself to a little something to make yourself feel appreciated. Do this in a way that will make you want to make yourself proud. In other words, along with the new Strokes album, buy a fancy notebook and swear to make lists of assignment due dates and daily tasks.
Side note: Take these tasks one at a time.
It’s been a long winter; the warmer and sunnier it gets, the more tempting it is to blow off your scholarly responsibilities for something more instantly gratifying. A measured dose of this can be a great cure for Cabin Fever, but beyond that you’re just digging yourself a hole that will be just the right size to trap you as you peek out and see the sun growing higher overhead, while your friends play Ultimate on the Mall as you watch from a tiny library window, while you try to cram a few last terms into your head before you run off to take the final you didn’t have time to study for the night before because you were finishing that paper that’s five days late — AAH.
Download and review those long-neglected lecture slides. Print off fresh (revised) copies of your syllabi. A little extra push now will mean smoother sailing through the end of the semester.