Going back to school after winter break is always rough. Having a month off and having to start a semester all over again? Yeah, OK. I'll get right on that. But in all seriousness, getting through the second half a school year can seem tedious and daunting. With losing focus and just trying to get through, one's grades can drop and make it more difficult to pass classes. The weather gets nicer and makes you want to spend time outside instead of doing your work. And let's not forget to mention that you become more sleep deprived, making you want to skip classes. However, here are a few things you can do to ensure you survive the "mid-year slump."

1. Manage your time.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but even when I think about how I manage my time I realize that sometimes it isn't managed the best. I tend to schedule my days so I stay on task and don't deviate from accomplishing my work. I try to make sure I have my homework done by a certain time each day (depending on what time my final class ends), ensuring that I can get a good night's sleep before the next day. I try to finish papers or projects at least one or two days in advance, leaving the time between then and the due date for last-minute finishing touches. And for exams, I try to begin studying at least four days in advance. If I follow all of that each week and plan out my days individually, I tend to be more successful in avoiding procrastination.

2. Procrastination.

I am a huge procrastinator. I even procrastinate on procrastinating, if that's even possible. But procrastination is literally the bane of every college student's existence, right? I even find myself binge watching Netflix in an attempt to avoid tackling that 12-page paper. But alas, this won't make my work disappear, it will only take away time I have to accomplish it. Yeah Netflix is fantastic and basically a blessing, but try to avoid binge watching when you know you have work to do. I always try to tell myself that once I finish my work, I will watch Netflix that evening. Along with Netflix comes social media. In an hour's time of studying, I will have gone through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and my email at least three times, but how much work did I get done? None. Zero. Yes, I still do this occasionally but I am attempting to avoid doing so. I, again, plan my work and try to motivate myself to get through my work so I can browse my social media and watch some Netflix. I always regret procrastinating on my work, so I try to push myself to not procrastinate at all. This is a major work in progress, but one day I'll accomplish this.

3. Sleep is your number-one priority.

I get it, every college student is most likely somewhat sleep deprived and just downright exhausted. But this doesn't mean you should skip classes. For what one pays to attend university, the cost of skipping a class or two every week or so adds up. College isn't cheap, so why waste the money you're spending skipping? Sleeping in is always fantastic, but if you get enough sleep each night you should at least be able to get through classes. I know 8 are horrid and it's tough to get up in time and look presentable, but I'd rather be tired in class than skip class and have a bunch of work or notes to catch up on. Also it may seem like professors don't take attendance all the time, but trust me it's noticeable when the same student skips so many classes and then magically appears during finals week. Get your work done now, go to class, and sleep later. This can be accomplished by managing your time. I try to get to bed by at least midnight each night. I personally always avoid doing work in my dorm because I usually end up asleep on my bed, so if you're like me, try to avoid doing work in your dorm.

4. Intrinsically motivated.

I've come to realize all I need to get through the school year is mainly just intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is when you are motivated by internal factors (i.e. I feel proud of myself when I accomplish my tasks), rather than external factors (i.e. do not do work, you'll receive a bad grade). I am quite the perfectionist so I tend to be motivated by extrinsic factors such as grades, but I noticed I also need to intrinsically motivate myself by settinggoals. Each week in my planner, I set at least three goals for myself. These range from finishing three pages of a paper due next week, to going to a professor's office hours, to even just spending a certain amount of time studying. I try to have no homework to do during the weekend, so often I set the goal of, "Finish work before 6 p.m. on Friday." It pushes me to do so every time I see my goals. With this, I feel proud of myself and it motivates me to work even harder next week. I know this may be hard for most college students as they're merely doing work just for a good grade, but working on developing your intrinsic motivation by providing yourself with internal rewards can be very beneficial.

5. Countdown to spring break.

Spring break comes once a year and it's probably the best part of the second half of the year. Spring break is so exciting and you just cannot wait, so you start a countdown. Having a countdown is actually quite positive. For me, I tend to make a list of exciting events I am looking forward to and start countdowns. This makes me put my tasks in perspective a bit. If I know that if in the next 20 days before break I have to accomplish tasks A, B, and C, I will make these priorities. Having a countdown helps me prioritize tasks that I need to accomplish. Just keep pushing to get there.

6. The weather.

Every year I look forward to spring. The weather starts getting better and it puts me in a better mood. However, it makes me want to spend time outside playing tennis or just hanging out with friends. It makes me feel as if I want to just avoid my work, but it shouldn't be that way. I now do my work outside somewhere when it's very nice out. Then I get to enjoy the weather all while doing my work. I find a favorite spot that I go to, somewhere I know I can focus on my work.

7. Midterms?

If I don't have my stuff together by the time midterms roll around, I will after. Midterms make me realize that I either need to work harder, use my time more wisely, or that I am right on track (but it's typically the first two). Midterm reports can be scary, especially if you didn't study, didn't work hard, or maybe skipped too many classes. If I didn't work hard enough and didn't receive the grade I wanted, this pushes me to work harder for the final. I am never satisfied with grades that are lower than an A or high B, so seeing anything lower makes me upset and determined to work harder. Grades are a great example of an extrinsic motivator.

8. The final countdown.

The last few weeks of the semester or quarter are probably the roughest. Teachers start piling on work and more work, as if you didn't have enough work already, and then finals arrive. By this time I am so ready to just pack up and go home, but I need to finish the semester with a bang. I try to use all of the previously mentioned items to get through to the end. With finals leading to less sleep and more coffee, all I want to do is sleep. I find myself snoozing my alarm more often than not, but skipping class during the last few weeks is very detrimental. Some professors give information in the last few weeks that will be on the final, so skipping class and missing these notes could potentially cost you a grade. I try to plan out my last few weeks, set goals, set times that I want to have my work done by, and try to accomplish my work in a comfortable setting (in the library, café, or outside somewhere). Yes, making it through the semester is great, but making it through with great grades is even better.