The End {Of the Semester} Is Near

I sit in an lecture hall surrounded by my fellow students, struggling to stay focused on the Excel sheet in front of me. Instead, my mind begins to wonder about my plans later that evening, wonder about finals, wonder what the highlight of my summer will be. I snap awake from my daydreaming as my professor coughs into her microphone.

It's here. What I've been trying to avoid: End-of-Semester-Itis. I've heard about this sickness before. Students begin to flock outdoors. The amphitheaters on campus become overpopulated. The population of dogs on campus increases, while the population of students in class decreases. Tables can finally be found in the Student Union. A feeling instead of me stirs, longing to go exploring at IJAMS, instead of sitting in my class hearing about VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP. A craving for lemonade hits me, and I start searching for every pair of sunglasses I wear. My feet long for the straps of Chacos.

I can't. I mustn't. End-of-Semester-Itis is running rampant amongst my friends, casually taking them over one by one. Two weeks until finals, we can make it, but we have to conquer End-of-Semester-Itis. Here are some tips that will, hopefully, jumpstart your motivation again.

1. Spend some time outside everyday. Feel the wind in your hair.

We all know that we feel completely rejuvenated when we spend time outside. Try bringing some of your homework and doing it outside. You can feel refreshed, because I swear Vitamin D is like nature's 5 Hour Energy, while getting those annoying math problems done.

2. Stay Organized, that planner that's at the bottom of your backpack can seriously help you.

Plan your week. It sounds like something that's trivial, but seeing what you need to accomplish can motivate you to finish the activity and cross it off your list. When you cross off an item from your to-do list, you're one item closer to being able to binge-watch Netflix this weekend.

3. Study with your friends so they can hold you accountable.

I don't know about you, but if I plan to study with my friends, then we come to a mutual agreement that we're going to sit down and finish our work. So if I reach for my phone, you better believe that someone snatches it from my hand. If you start to get heated, (get it, Hades?) doing a problem set, your friends can help you focus and you can complete the assignment with as few tears shed as possible.

4. Reward Yourself.

Shove some chocolate in your face. Reward yourself for finishing that paper, whether it was 3 hours before the deadline, or 3 minutes before. Take time for yourself. You did it! Celebrate the small victories. Go ahead and order that Venti Frappuccino--you deserve it (Grab some pumpkin bread while you're at).

5. Let's get down to business: it's never too early to start studying for finals

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When was the last time you heard someone complain that they studied too early for the exam? Yeah, me neither. I have a serious problem waiting to the last minute to study, but the earlier the better for finals (especially when you have 3 in 24 hours HAHAHA I'm fine). You deserve to get that A in Economics! Earn it!

End-of-Semester-Itis is among us and quickly becoming an epidemic. There is no vaccine available for this yet reporters say, but these tips above can help you conquer it. Here's to a strong end to a semester, whether it's your last semester in college or your first.