Skip this post if your grades are good, your classes are under control, and you haven't an academic care in the world!
But if that's not your situation--if you're stressing about grades, wondering if you're going to finish everything, or feeling like the walls are closing in--keep reading.
Three weeks (actually 19 days between now and the end of the semester) may not seem like much time, but you'll be amazed at what you can accomplish when you set your mind to it.
Start by listing everything you have to finish: papers, projects, journals, whatever. Include upcoming exams, especially those requiring serious prep time. Note due dates and test dates.
Put your regular "life" schedule on hold: Tell friends you'll see them later in December (and mean it), cut back on work hours, and tell your family you REALLY need time to yourself over the next few weeks.
Focus on one task at a time. Got a Communications paper due this Wednesday? Write it today. English journal or Marketing project due Friday? Finish it tomorrow. Statistics exam next Monday? Start studying asap.
Keep going. Don't waste time worrying or feeling sorry for yourself. Remember who's going to benefit from your efforts.
And as December winds down, imagine you're in the final stretch of a race. It may hurt a bit to put your head down and kick, but do it anyway. The semester is going to end one way or the other. Why not give it your best shot and finish strong?
Prof. Conway,
ReplyDeleteThank you for the inspirational words. I do feel very, very overwhelmed because I have so many things to do before the end of the year and the beginning of next year. Although your advice is well taken and I can use many of your points; there are things that I just can't "push" back. It's not necessarily about feeling sorry for yourself, it's that everything and I mean everything, has to be completed with such urgency. That's the problem! But, just as you suggested I will prioritize what is most important, I will keep my eye on the prize, and I will try not to let the stress of "everyday" life get to me.
Jeremy Cabrera