Paige Tillinghast – Special to the Southern News
Goodbye spring break and hello summer! I’m sure that’s what a majority of college students have had going through their minds these past few weeks. And with temperatures on the rise, it’s finally starting to look like we’re almost to summer vacation. But unfortunately, we still have about five more weeks of class left. So even though many students are in that summer state-of-mind, we should really all be focusing on those last few assignments and upcoming finals. There are several different ways to stay focused and get everything you need to get accomplished actually done.
“I think the mid-semester slump is inevitable to avoid because coming back from spring break you just want to be done with school, but have to be brought back to reality,” says Natalie Bartletta, who is currently a sophomore here at Southern. “It’s all about being wary of what you need to get done and balancing everything out.” One of the first key steps to finishing the semester off strong is by managing your time correctly and knowing what your assignments and due dates are. Students tend to lose track of all their homework and then find that they’re either farther ahead or behind than what they initially expected. Planners may not work for everyone but it’s important to check Blackboard, your email, and syllabus as much as you can in order to stay on track during this hectic time of the year. Time management is imperative to success as well. You need to establish your priorities and figure out what are your most important tasks throughout your daily routine.
When accomplishing those tasks, you also need to remember that it’s okay to take breaks and reward yourself for what you have gotten done. By setting up little rewards for some of the goals you achieve, you might feel less stressed and pressured when completing your next task. I’m not saying to do this for every single thing you have to get done, but by giving yourself a break here and there, you might feel a little less overwhelmed and finish all your work on time.
“I look forward to the next semester and that gets me motivated. I love making my schedule and so the faster I can get my work done, the faster I can focus on next semester and my future,” said junior Alyssa Crosthwaite. Focusing on what motivates or drives you is another great way to complete your work. Like many other students, Crosthwaite mentions how thinking of the upcoming semester keeps her going strong when it comes to her current classes. Although many of us are tired of our courses at this point, looking forward to the new classes for next semester is a nice idea of how to stay excited about college and what will come next in your future.
Nevertheless, one aspect that some students forget about is their own health. Everyone is so busy thinking about work or school or their social life that they forget to take care of themselves. It’s extremely vital that you’re not stretching yourself too thin just so you can continue with everything going on in your life. If you’re getting under five hours of sleep every night then maybe you should look at changing something in your routine in order to get the amount of sleep you actually need in order to stay healthy. And on the opposite side of that, if you find that you’re being lazy and getting too much sleep, maybe you should focus a bit more on school and other priorities. It all comes down to balance in the end.
So look on the bright side, we only have a few more weeks of classes and then finals and we will be done with this school year. It may seem like a long time, but summer will be here before you know it. Be sure to keep yourself on track though and don’t forget about those last few important homework assignments your professors are giving. Now is not the time to slack off, but remember that it’s okay to cut yourself some slack every once in a while because it’s healthy.