Getting through the final weeks of the semester

Screenshot courtesy of Kylee Weber

It is that time of the year where the semester begins to slow down; we’ve begun counting down the days until winter break, preparing ourselves for finals and the mental breakdowns have started because of how overwhelmed we are. LuckilyI am here today to give you some helpful tips and suggestions to help you get through the rest of the semester.

There are four weeks left of the semester, including Thanksgiving break. Begin reminding yourself that it is four more Mondays that we have to wake up and go to class to start our new week. Four Mondays may seem like a lot to some people, but in all honesty, it’s the worst day out of the week. If you continuously remind yourself that it’s one less Monday each time, it will become easier to cope with. Allowing yourself to see the number of weeks and how many more Mondays you have to get through will let your mind be at peace knowing that the semester is almost over.

Since the last few weeks do tend to go by slower, make little goals throughout the week to attempt to make it go by faster. For me, I try to get through the first two days of the week, because these are the worst days for me. Over the course of the week, set a goal to get through Wednesday or Thursday and once you get there, it will feel like a relief because the week is almost over. If you have exciting plans for the weekend, give yourself some time to plan the event, if that means trying to figure out what to wear, how to do your hair or whatever it may be; this will get you excitement to get through the final days of the week.

Going along with making goals for the week, you can make long term goals as well. I have done this a lot this semester. There is only one week until Thanksgiving break. I tell myself that once I get to Thanksgiving, I only have a week and a half of the rest of the semester. Making these long-term goals will let each week feel shorter, and time will go by faster. The key is to make long term goals for two to three weeks in advance. If you make too long of a goal, it will be agonizing to have to wait for that goal making your days go by slower.

Finally, how to make your day feel shorter. This can be a tricky one because everyone is different with their schedules. A majority of this school is athletes, so our day starts early and usually ends late. This creates for a long day for us and can get very overwhelming. To shorten you day just take it one step at a time. As cheesy as this sounds, taking it one step or thing at a time will create a better mind set for the day. I have actively done this for the past few weeks. Instead of looking at my day at a whole I look at what I have to do first and only focus on that task. Once that task is finished then I can move on to the next task for the day, this will allow a shorter day.

I know we are all getting homesick and wanting the days where we can lay in bed comfy and see our family and pets. However, just keep reminding yourself that it is only four weeks till the end of the semester, two weeks until Thanksgiving break, and it is just one step at a time.