It's almost November and I may or may not be counting down the days until Thanksgiving break. Right now midterms are probably taking over the lives of many college students, and hiding in our dorms watching Netflix might seem to be a better alternative. Or you might be feeling under the weather or just stuck in a slump. Honestly, with the weather here, you know the pouring rain and gray skies, I don't want to always be doing homework or studying for tests and creating presentations. Not to mention just thinking about the amount of work we have to do seems beyond our capabilities. Sometimes we get so overwhelmed and stressed, it feels like procrastinating and avoiding all work might seem to be the best decision.
Unfortunately, the work, tests, and projects won't take care of themselves. It might seem overwhelming, but all of it's got to get done somehow. However, there are ways to make studying less stressful. I found that making little goals works well. I had a project in one class last semester that was a culmination of two months of research and work. I knew that my habit is to leave everything until the last minute, so I made up my mind to change the behavior. I created a schedule that broke up my assignment into smaller chunks. Breaking my assignment down helped me create a more thorough and well-written project.
That being said, I know some of us are just in the habit of doing work last minute. We tried to change, but sometimes we can't help but fall back into old patterns. Well, at least find a way to de-stress yourself. I CAN'T stress enough how important it is to take care of yourself. Many of us may have felt under the weather at some point in the last few months, and feeling sick along with having so much work to do is never a good combination.
Find a way to relax that works for you. My go-to ways to unwind include finding a quiet corner and reading a book or going to work out. The weight feels like it's lifted from my shoulders and I can finally breathe. There are so many ways that a person could unwind, not limited to exercising, watching TV, listening to music, and going out with friends. Honestly finding time in your busy schedule could make the biggest difference, even if it's just for half an hour. Amid all of the stress, don't neglect the most important person of all: YOU.
