(This is an archive story, refer to following byline for author's name)
By Leyla Hinojosa-Zurar
The end of the semester (especially the spring semester) can bring many challenges and stressors. The weather is starting to get nicer, the days are getting longer, and your attention span is most likely getting shorter. It can all get very overwhelming quickly, and by the time finals and benchmarks start approaching you’ve all but virtually checked out. As hard as it may be, it’s important to keep your morale high to get through finals. No one wants to throw away all the hard work they’ve put in throughout the semester over a little stress and fatigue. So, here are some tips on how to stay focused and finish out the semester strong.
One: Try and get as much sleep as possible at night. It truly does make a huge difference when you get 7-8 hours of sleep rather than say 2-4. You’ll be more awake and more capable of focusing on difficult assignments and courses.
Two: Setting up a planner, Google Calendar, or bullet journal takes a matter of minutes and can really set you up for success this semester. Start this planning process at the very beginning of the semester by highlighting important dates on your syllabus and promptly inputting them into your planning tool of choice.
Three: Find your happy place. Your physical space greatly impacts your mental state, so it's vital to know what you like when it comes to creating a productive, distraction-free study environment. Whether you're cramming out an essay, doing a long assigned reading, or taking down notes for a strenuous class, be sure to have everything you need within arms reach. Sit at a clean and well-lit desk in your room, or head to a local cafe for a change of pace. In the city of Fort Worth, I'd highly recommend Dwell Coffee, near University Drive and TCU.
Four: Take a break. Giving yourself a moment to breathe every few hours during a long day of studying is the ultimate form of self-care and can help prevent burnout in the long run. A productive break could simply mean stepping away from your desk to grab a bite to eat, or socializing with your family and friends. Try to minimize your screen time during breaks, as it's almost too easy to get sucked into your infinitely entertaining social media feeds. Since much of the 21st-century studying happens through the means of a laptop, you might be putting more strain on your eyes than you need to if you keep periodically looking at your phone.
Five: Go to Sleep. Student culture often romanticizes binge eating and all-nighters and hypes up being overworked, underfed, and sleep-deprived. But, getting six to eight hours of sleep is an incredibly viable lifestyle and should be a no-brainer for most.
Naps are also a great way to take a pause, but be aware that long naps can set you back in terms of productivity by making you groggy. The ideal nap time is around 10 to 20 minutes, according to an article in The Huffington Post. The article also explores the concept of a caffeinated nap, which suggests that a healthy dose of coffee before a nap of the aforementioned brief duration can enhance the benefits of an afternoon coffee and siesta.
There are hundreds of different study techniques that could be listed above but like stated earlier, too much of one thing isn’t the best. It’s vital to secure your grades and GPA especially for seniors going into college next fall, so hopefully, these techniques are useful to you or anyone else who may need them. Be sure to get all the necessary work done while not overworking yourself.