By: Alyssa Tippens
Upon your return to campus following winter break, you probably had great hopes of starting the new semester feeling refreshed, renewed and ready to take on the second half of the year. However, if you’re anything like me, you’re quickly realizing that you still feel a bit run down with a case of the post-holiday blues. Chances are, you’re experiencing the inevitable “second semester slump” and beginning to question how on Earth you will survive until May. While balancing school and life during these wintery months can seem intimidating, it is possible to make the best of spring semester if you follow a few basic guidelines.
Make Sleep a Priority
You probably pulled your fair share of all-nighters during fall semester, but now’s the time to reevaluate what’s most important. When’s the last time you had a great, productive day on less than six hours of sleep, anyway? Sure, you could put off studying and stay up until 4 a.m. as you cram for your first exam of the semester, but chances are, it won’t do you much good in the long-run. One of the hardest lessons to learn in college is that sleep is more important than getting a couple extra hours of studying in. So, put down the textbook and get some rest!
Eat
It seems that this should go without saying, but it’s a necessary reminder. We college students are infamous for our poor eating habits, after all. But when it comes down to it, we need food to give us the energy needed to bounce around from class, work and the library. So even if it’s something as small as keeping a box of granola bars in your car to ensure that you’ll always have a small snack on hand, do it. Nothing is worse than the unfortunate moment of complete silence as your stomach growls loud enough for the entire class to hear.
Stay on Top of Things
The biggest reason why so many of us have a hard time sleeping and eating properly is because we’re too busy doing a million other things. Staying on top of your workload is crucial to making the best of this semester. Sometimes it’s easier said than done, but you should still make an honest effort to work on your assignments sooner rather than later. Always keep a planner around and make reminders for things you don’t want to forget. Try to keep your school life in order by establishing a study/homework routine that you can follow every day.
Relax
You’ll find that a great motivation for staying organized and on top of your work is that it will provide you with some time to relax. Amidst the chaos of living the life of a college student, it’s important to take some time to blow off steam now and then. Whether it be through a night out, or simply staying in and indulging in some Netflix, everyone needs a break once and a while to maintain some sanity. College is first and foremost about getting an education, but that doesn’t mean you can’t occasionally treat yourself.