Finals are fast approaching and there’s a frenetic, nervous type of energy in the air. If you’re anything like I am as a student (bless your poor sweet soul if you are) then you’re probably feeling the weight of the semester bearing down on your shoulders. Instead of taking the opportunity to study, however, I like to use the moment to reflect on all the ups and downs of my year and see how it’s led to the present. Self-reflection is good for the soul as it allows you to understand your shortcomings and your strengths, and if you can come away from it relatively unscathed then you probably have the capability to change yourself for the better. With the summer coming up, it’s easy to take stock of exactly what it is that needs to be worked on in your life, and hopefully have the time to put those changes in effect
Personally, the biggest issue I have is that I absolutely need to learn how to prioritize better and how to keep those priorities straight! Learning how to prioritize better has been something I’ve been working on for quite some time now. It’s been slow going, however, most likely because it’s ingrained into my very person to pick the immediate pleasure over the lasting one. So as a result, I’ll go to the movies instead of sitting down and getting a chunk of my paper out of the way because I’d rather choose something where I’ll feel the effects immediately over the relief which comes from knowing I won’t have as much work to do tomorrow as I did today. I’ve been able put together a few tricks to get over this bad habit with varying degrees of success.
Step 1: Stay organized and write things down! I cannot begin emphasize the importance of this. Put down the tasks you need to get done in your phone, in a planner, on your mirror, wherever you’ll see it every day so that the excuse of not knowing the specifics of an assignment or event goes away. Procrastination works best when you think you have time to get away with not doing something, and staying organized and keeping on top of things is a great way to quit the habit because knowing what you have to do is already half the work.
Step 2: Whatever it is you need to do, get a little bit out of the way each day. This is advice I’ve seen reiterated everywhere on the Internet but there’s a reason for that, and it’s because it actually works. If you do it enough times, then you’ll eventually be done with the assignment and form the habit to get your work done, but more than that it alleviates the guilt you feel knowing you’ve got something to do but literally have done nothing about. Golden rule, something is always better than nothing.
Step 3: Forgive yourself and genuinely work to do better. If you happen to have dug yourself into a hole this semester, as far as academics are concerned, know that it is not the end of the world as much as it might feel like it. If you’ve focused more on partying as opposed to studying this year, yeah, it might not have been the best decision but you can come back from it. Education is expensive, sure, but if something isn’t working for you, take it out of the equation. Repeat the course at a community college, speak with your professors, and let your missteps fuel your passion to do better as opposed to wallowing in your misery. Because, I’ve done both in my academic career, and the one that’s felt infinitely better is being proactive with myself and my work.
The end of the semester present a stressful time in everyone’s life, whether you’re a top-tier student or barely scraping by. All I can say though is that you shouldn’t let it consume you, whoever you are. We are all more than a letter grade although certainly it is an important aspect of our lives. Life is always going to trip you up, it’s up to you to pick yourself up and try again.
