This Can Wait
To-do Lists Overload
Having paper planners, digital planners, to-do lists, paper calendars, and digital calendars can be overwhelming when you feel like assignments and projects are piling up. During stressful times like exam week take the time to organize everything by due dates. Every assignment and task does not have to be done at that very moment. Separate them day by day and if something does not get done, it’s okay to move it to the next day. To-do lists can be overwhelming when tasks are not categorized and you’re stuck looking at a million things to do.
Take A Break
So procrastination is bad, right? Not always - when you need a break, you need a break. This break can be just walking around your room or taking a snack break. For some people, these breaks might be longer than others - one might watch an hour-long movie or a 20 minute YouTube video. Breaks could inspire you or spark some creativity to give that extra push to finish that last paragraph in that final paper. Breaks are important, especially at the end of the semester when your mind is focused on summer vacation.
Get Up and Get Moving
Listening to music can be a distraction for some, but throwing on acoustic, low-volume music can add the perfect vibe to your study session. I personally love Spotify’s study playlists or you can make your own. Dancing and getting up from sitting at your desks for hours gets the blood back flowing. After you listen to your favorite tunes, you won’t even realize that you finished something that you’ve been avoiding for days.
Done For The Day
There are only 24 hours in a day, it is impossible to fit a semester of work in one day. Time to save your work, shut down the laptop, and go to sleep. Assignments can be resumed the next day. Take this time to rest the mind and get some good night’s sleep for the next day. You can’t do your best work running off three cups of coffee and zero hours of sleep. I know caffeine can do powerful things, but it can’t do everything. Sleep is essential and a gateway to a refreshed body and mind to finish those assignments. When things seem to be piling up mountains high, they can translate and pop up in dreams and turn into nightmares. Try to meditate, read, or do breathing exercises before sleep to push those stressful thoughts to the back of your mind.
Overlap in Due Dates
When you’re taking classes online and attending classes virtually, due dates for projects can overlap. Prioritize the assignment based on the amount of time that you’re going to spend on completing the assignment. Presentations and research papers will of course take more time than sending out a survey, so work on the harder assignments and work your way down.
Relax, You Can Do This
Exam week is not easy for anyone. Sometimes it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel when your email inbox is filling up like crazy and Blackboard notifications are going off every two seconds. Don’t get caught up in the completions and due dates but tackle each task piece by piece, even if it is coming up with a title for your paper. Remember that after all the work you have completed, you can be proud of yourself. You’re Done!
About the Author:
Damaiya is studying Advertising and Public Relations at Grand Valley State University. She is greatly involved on campus and enjoys seeing her peers accomplish their goals. She hopes to work at an advertising agency after graduation. Damaiya is eager to continue to learn more about public relations and implement her skills in future courses and in the industry.