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Health and Wellness

If You Need Help Focusing Through The Mid-Semester Slump, Try These 5 Things

Simple tricks to make life SO much easier.

Camila Pedrosa

Oct 25, 2020

Arizona State University

3915

If You Need Help Focusing Through The Mid-Semester Slump, Try These 5 Things

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We've all had those days when even thinking about homework gives us headaches and we find ourselves instinctively reaching for our phones when our Zoom lectures get too boring. In order to make it through these long days of online classes, I've found five main things that have saved my sanity — and my grades.

1. Silly Putty and Kinetic Sand have helped me keep focus, whether I'm on a 9 a.m. Zoom lecture or listening to a dull episode of "True Crime."

Giving your hands something to fidget with while you're losing focus can help you concentrate your energy into a simple act that won't distract you from the looming task at hand.

Get a 5-pack of Silly Putty from Target for $4.99 or a 2lb. bag of Original Kinetic Sand from Amazon for $9.99.

2. The game "I Love Hue" is probably the most relaxing and satisfying puzzle game on the market.

The premise is simple — turn the jumble of colored squares back into a gradient. The levels get progressively harder, but the satisfaction of finishing a level never fades. I've used it to take a break from work, calm down, and even ground myself before therapy sessions.

Get it free on the App Store and Google Play Store.

3. This journal has changed my daily routine since entering college by giving me a chance to reflect on my day and wind down.

Amazon

I've never been one for journaling or having a diary, but the simple layout and small size of the One Line A Day journal make it easy to fill up a day's worth of space. The five-year aspect of the journal is also a great tool to track progress and see how you've grown through college and adulthood.

Get it from Amazon for $10.25.

4. Tree-themed productivity apps that give you a well-needed guilt trip whenever you distract yourself with your phone.

You can set a timer for however long you want to study or take a technology break, and while you work, you grow a tree! These apps also have options to set timers and plant real trees across the planet, so you can save your grade while saving the environment!

Get Forest on the App Store for $1.99 and the Google Play Store for free, and Flora on the App Store for free!

5. My "Paint by Numbers" kits are the best blast from the past if you loved coloring books or painting as a kid.

My roommate and I both got one and they have helped us both wind down at the end of a long day by sitting down, putting on a calming playlist or podcast, and painting. The kits come with all the necessary items to create one painting: the canvas, paints with their corresponding numbers on them, and three paintbrushes.

Get this painting or this painting starting from $19.99.

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25 Beatles Lyrics: Your Go-To Guide for Every Situation

The Best Lines from the Fab Four

SUNY Binghamton

31935

Wikipedia Commons

For as long as I can remember, I have been listening to The Beatles. Every year, my mom would appropriately blast “Birthday” on anyone’s birthday. I knew all of the words to “Back In The U.S.S.R” by the time I was 5 (Even though I had no idea what or where the U.S.S.R was). I grew up with John, Paul, George, and Ringo instead Justin, JC, Joey, Chris and Lance (I had to google N*SYNC to remember their names). The highlight of my short life was Paul McCartney in concert twice. I’m not someone to “fangirl” but those days I fangirled hard. The music of The Beatles has gotten me through everything. Their songs have brought me more joy, peace, and comfort. I can listen to them in any situation and find what I need. Here are the best lyrics from The Beatles for every and any occasion.

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Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

Smith College

95615

college students waiting in a long line in the hallway

StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

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waitlisted

Recommended for you

If You Need Help Focusing Through The Mid-Semester Slump, Try These 5 Things

Simple tricks to make life SO much easier.

1. Silly Putty and Kinetic Sand have helped me keep focus, whether I'm on a 9 a.m. Zoom lecture or listening to a dull episode of "True Crime."

2. The game "I Love Hue" is probably the most relaxing and satisfying puzzle game on the market.

3. This journal has changed my daily routine since entering college by giving me a chance to reflect on my day and wind down.

4. Tree-themed productivity apps that give you a well-needed guilt trip whenever you distract yourself with your phone.

5. My "Paint by Numbers" kits are the best blast from the past if you loved coloring books or painting as a kid.

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The Best Lines from the Fab Four

And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make

The sun is up, the sky is blue, it's beautiful and so are you

Love is old, love is new, love is all, love is you

There's nowhere you can be that isn't where you're meant to be

Life is very short, and there's no time for fussing and fighting, my friend

He say, "I know you, you know me", One thing I can tell you is you got to be free

Oh please, say to me, You'll let me be your man. And please say to me, You'll let me hold your hand

It was twenty years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play. They've been going in and out of style, but they're guaranteed to raise a smile

Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see

Can you hear me? When it rains and shine, it's just a state of mind

Little darling, it's been long cold lonely winter. Little darling, it feels like years since it' s been here. Here comes the sun, Here comes the sun, and I say it's alright

We danced through the night and we held each other tight, and before too long I fell in love with her. Now, I'll never dance with another when I saw her standing there

I love you, I love you, I love you, that's all I want to say

You say you want a revolution. Well you know, we all want to change the world

All the lonely people, where do they all come from. All the lonely people, where do they all belong

Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends

Hey Jude, don't make it bad. Take a sad song and make it better

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it looks as though they're here to stay. Oh, I believe in yesterday

And when the brokenhearted people, living in the world agree, there will be an answer, let it be.

And anytime you feel the pain, Hey Jude, refrain. Don't carry the world upon your shoulders

I'll give you all I got to give if you say you'll love me too. I may not have a lot to give but what I got I'll give to you. I don't care too much for money. Money can't buy me love

All you need is love, love is all you need

Whisper words of wisdom, let it be

Blackbird singing in the dead of night, Take these broken wings and learn to fly. All your life, You were only waiting for this moment to arise

Though I know I'll never lose affection, for people and things that went before. I know I'll often stop and think about them. In my life, I love you more

Obviously the best superpower.

There have been many lessons learned.

1. The importance of traditions.

2. How to be thankful for family and friends.

3. How to give back.

4. What the word "community" really means.

5. That it isn't about the destination, but the journey.

6. The consequences of making bad choices.

7. To trust people, until you have a reason not to.

8. To be welcoming and accepting of everyone.

9. How to be my own, individual person.

10. How to work for what I want.

11. How to be great at giving directions.

12. How to be humble.

13. To be well-rounded.

14. How to be great at conflict resolution.

15. The beauty of getting outside and exploring.

16. To be prepared for anything.

17. That you don't always have to do it alone.

18. How to be creative.

19. To brush off gossip.

I have never been so thankful to know you.

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

Don't freak out

Email the professor

Attend the first class

Keep attending class

Have a backup plan

Remember that everything works out at the end

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