We’re at that point in the year where we can see the end of school. Classes are finished in less than a month. But, we’re also at the point where it feels like every instructor is cramming in a million more group projects, papers, midterms, etc., even though finals are right around the corner. Here are some tips to help you remain sane through the end of April.
1. Get time away and/or alone
Make sure you take a few minutes for yourself to just walk around campus, get a coffee from Starbucks, or just enjoy the nice weather on one of those days when it decides to be 60+ outside.
2. Spend a short time doing something for pure fun
With all the hard work and stress that the next few weeks will bring, make sure you have time to reward yourself for your hard work. Whether you Skype with a distant friend, play some video games, or watch funny YouTube videos, just make sure you reward yourself.
3. Exercise
You may be thinking, “How am I supposed to have time to exercise when I have to study for five tests, write nine papers, and complete four group projects?” Trust me, even just a few minutes of exercise will make you feel so much better. If you want to exercise, but also want to accomplish something for school, bring your book or notes to the gym to study while you’re on the treadmill or while you’re biking. You will feel reenergized once you’re done. Even if it’s only for 20 minutes, try to get some exercise.
4. Attend an athletic event
Sometimes you just need to take a break completely from what you may be doing to get a new perspective or to get reenergized. A great way to do this is to attend an athletic event at Ohio State. There are baseball games, softball games, track meets, the football spring game (April 12; free to students), and many other athletic events that will occur during these last few weeks of school. I know the athletes would all love your support and it would be a great way to take a break from studying.
5. Make a list, write everything down
One suggestion to help you feel less overwhelmed these last few weeks is to make lists. This simple concept may sound silly, but it will make you feel better! Make lists of the things you have to do. As you complete them, make sure to cross them off on the list — you will feel great that you are accomplishing something, even if you have a million more things to do. At certain points, make sure you set rewards for completing so many things on the list. This will encourage you to continue to work hard and not get too frustrated.
If all else fails, make sure to breathe. We have roughly five weeks left (including finals). Just think: we are so close to summer. If you need an incentive to study hard for finals, just think about how great summer will be when you find out you got better grades than you thought because you studied so hard!