It's finals season, fellow college kids. Are you sleeping more than you should be? Yes. Are you eating more than you should be? Definitely. Are you procrastinating like a pro? My guess is a hard yes! All these things are part of the final season. But you know what you shouldn't be doing?
Worrying about people who don't give you the time of day.
You don't have time to be worried about who likes you and who doesn't. The reason you hang out with people, in general, but especially during this stressful time of the year, is to relieve stress and spent a relaxing few hours with people who you love and love you back!
I know it's hard to just drop people, but create distance at least. Focus on your studying. Do NOT let their negative vibes ruin your day or make you worry. I know that is way harder than it seems because I, too, am working on it myself.
What I personally am trying to do is treat those that make me feel unwanted or annoying as acquaintances. I don't want to burn any bridges but also value my mental and emotional health. Whenever I meet them I am pleasant but don't focus on trying to please them and if they start ignoring me or just get boring, I leave. Simple as that. Whenever you feel the need, just leave. If they aren't being good friends to you anyway, chances are that they don't actually care if you are there or if you aren't. Harsh, I know. But it's true.
I used to hate being alone in my room at college because I was always around family and my friends back home. I've learned to get used to being alone and not depending on others. It doesn't sound very nice but being able to spend time alone is very important because without this skill you get really uneasy and lonely. If you allow yourself to get used to being alone, you can be more productive. You will have less distraction and be able to get more work done or just clean up your space.
Also, when you aren't constantly around people that negatively affect you and how you view yourself, your confidence grows. I've only been distancing myself for about three days now because I had a lot of work to do but I noticed that I didn't "hate" myself as much anymore. I haven't felt like I was unwanted or annoying.
When I say enjoy being alone, I don't mean isolate yourself, that isn't healthy either. I hang out with my suitemate a lot because she is a really good friend and we don't really need to be talking or interacting all the time. That's what I really love about her. We literally spend hours on end in the same room just doing our own work. Only stopping to talk about something funny or take a break to eat. That's what a healthy relationship looks like. She respects me and I respect her and we value each other's time. I don't feel burdensome or annoying.
When you take a break from studying this finals season, spend time with people like my suitemate. It will help you keep social contact but also thrive. All the best on all your exams! You got this!