It's that time of year again. For my fellow peers in college, it's the few months where every week feels like a "hell week." For those people in high school, you have big, outside-of-school exams you have to prepare for, and balancing all your activities in your life can become a hassle. It's the time of the year when the going gets rough, and you are going to wish you could escape all your academic troubles. But we all know that we can't do that, so, for my first article, I figured I would offer three main guidelines as to how to ease your human experience. As we limp towards April, May, and (finally!) June, hopefully incorporating some of these tips can make all of you live your lives a bit better.
1. Plan stuff out, concretely: It happens to be that when you write something down concretely, you are more likely to follow through with it. Whether it be on Google Calendar or on a small pocket planner, blocking out time for things you need to do will force you, at least somewhat, to follow through on what you've written down. Need to study for that chemistry test? Block out 2 hours to cover at least one chapter and internalize it. Can't figure out when to squeeze in that CS homework? Write down what section of the day you'll devote to coding. When you plan some stuff out, and follow through it, your other assignments and studying will follow, and you'll be able to compartmentalize the week by taking everything one day at a time, one hour at a time. As a byproduct of this, you'll find yourself worrying less about the bigger picture (causing unwanted stress) due to how much you'll be absorbed in each moment. Less stress is always a good thing.
2. Cut your fear loose: Part of the reason this part of the year is so rough is because your professors and teachers will pile on tests, projects, and papers without having any regard for the human condition. This leads to many people being fearful, as we live in a credential-based society that I believe relies a bit too heavily on grades, especially in high school. When it comes time to take that exam, live by one motto: NO FEAR. Fear can essentially throw you out of your funk, and may result in even the not-as-prepared individual forgetting whatever they do know. Before any test or assessment, you have most likely spent some if not an adequate amount of time preparing for it. You have to trust in that studying and preparation and be confident in what you know. A bit of healthy fear leading up to the exam is fine, as it will motivate you to prepare, but come exam time? Cut it all loose, as it won't benefit you during the exam itself. Listen to your favorite song or something that gets you hyped up before you take the test, so that when you're taking it, you'll feel like a million dollars. Confidence will aid your memory, while fear will only detract from it. Pro tip: chocolate helps your memory and mood as well before an exam. Being the football aficionado I am, before an exam, I always remember that clip of Tom Brady yelling "No fear! Laser focus!" at his teammates in Super Bowl 51 before he proceeded to lead the largest comeback in Super Bowl history. But hey, whatever works for you, do it.
3. When you do get a break, make sure to enjoy it: Many of my peers as well as myself like to live in a state of mind I like to call "constant worry." Every time we finish something important academically and have some time off, our mind immediately jumps to the next big thing we have coming up in our lives, and we essentially never relax at any given moment. This is honestly the worst punishment you can give your mind and your body. If you have even an hour to do nothing, go enjoy yourself! Listen to some music, go exercise, do whatever you need to do to distract your mind from the impending future. Breaks are important in order to keep yourself sane and healthy, so make sure a break truly feels like a break, rather than a "pocket of time I have before I must start studying or working again." For example, spring break for me is next week, and these past two months have definitely been difficult, so I look forward to going home and shutting my brain off, taking a solid 10 days to recharge. Breaks can often seem few and far between in the spring, so make the most of them every single time you have one.
Obviously, these tips may not be for everyone. One thing I've definitely realized in college is how uniquely different every individual is, so some or all of these may not have any effect on your suffering. But if you can tweak any of these to work for you, I'll be happy knowing that someone out there is breathing a bit more easily due to these guidelines. Embrace the challenge of these coming months, and I hope to see all of you on the other end as wiser, stronger people.
