By PLA Gloria
In between the start and the end of a semester, I find myself in what my friends and I have termed “post-traumatic midterm slump.” The “post-traumatic midterm slump” has symptoms including a lack of motivation, inability to concentrate, and constant fatigue. If this sounds like you, don’t worry! It’s quite the common syndrome, and there is a cure!
- Note that it is post-midterm slump, so reward yourself after all your hard work! Take a night off, hang out with friends, or get some Frozen Yogurt.
- If you made goals at the semester’s start, reflect on how close you are to achieving them, and plan on how you can continue. If you haven’t done so, why not make a list now to help you visualize how you want the semester to end? Set realistic goals, but don’t underestimate your abilities.
- If you’re having trouble concentrating, one tip that I learned from Positive Psychology (an amazing class!) is to focus less on “I don’t feel like doing it” and focus more on doing what you need to do in the moment. Get started! Motivation will then come!
- Don’t misjudge how much time you may have before finals. Ellen Goodman said that people in North America are susceptible to a condition coined “time bulimia” where we have a misconception of how much time we’ll have in the future. The fact is, we make an equal amount of commitments now and later on, even though we may think we’ll have more time to study, do laundry, or go grocery shopping next week.
- If you are constantly tired, get yourself back into a sleeping schedule. It’s easy to stay up late and sleep in after midterms with your new found free time, but remember that too much sleeping will actually make you feel more tired. Studies have shown that you’re more productive if you treat each work day like a 9-5 job.
So, main take away here? It’s important to take a break after midterms to revive yourself, but it’s also important to not lose the motivation that you had before midterms began. Finish strong!
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By the way, how can we communicate?
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