By Tara Quist (Contributor) – Email
Yes, it’s that time of year again. The time when deadlines and exams start multiplying before your eyes like an infestation of mutant zombies hungrily zeroing in on your location while beating the drums of war. A time when you either find yourself hitting that snooze button a few dozen times more than you did at the start of the year, or you begin contemplating if skipping that one class really would make a difference. Because really, what’s missing one lecture compared to getting two more hours of glorious sleep?
Believe me, I understand your misery. As the Winter semester starts to close we all start to feel our motivation slip between our fingers as we lose what little inspiration we have managed to hold onto until this point. Whether you be in first year or fourth, it’s hard to stay focused when all you want to do is nothing. So, how do you beat it? It’s a question every unmotivated student finds themselves asking, and to which I have a very simple, if not controversial answer: You don’t.
Now, don’t misunderstand — I’m not saying give up and just quit, because that is not only a waste of your money, but also a huge waste of the effort you have put into your classes. What I am saying, however, is that sometimes you need to breathe, relax, take a day off, and just blow it. When you lack the inspiration to motivate yourself, it is not because you don’t care anymore, but rather that the process of completing one assignment only to find another lined up and ready has left you ragged. When this happens, no amount of effort to stay on track will work, because even if you do attempt to barrel on through, you only find yourself half-assing all your assignments.
It is at this point in the year that taking time for yourself becomes crucial. Look at your schedule and mark down every due date up until and including your finals. Know your timelines and then make the time to enjoy yourself. It doesn’t matter what you do, whether it be calling up a group of pals and playing D&D, reading that book you’ve been putting off, or just laying on the couch and watching Netflix while scarfing down large quantities of junk food, it is important that you do something to relax your nerves. Trust me, a little off time here and there will do a lot more for your concentration and grades than pulling 10-hour study sessions off ever will.
An end-of-semester slump can be a hard thing to break out of, so you need to make an effort to keep moving forward, and UFV provides a lot of opportunities to involve yourself in new activities. You can lift a few weights in the gym, participate in the FSA-sponsored Easter-egg hunt, check out the Kariton Art Gallery’s Imagination in reality, meet new people at games night in the Global Lounge on Thursdays, or salsa dance on Fridays! Hell, you can even join a club or two, or sign up at The Cascade newspaper to write pieces on helping students survive the winter blues. Whatever you choose, make it fun and make it different, because while it is true you are here to learn, you also need to remember to live.
Yes, it’s that time of year again. The time when deadlines and exams start multiplying before your eyes like an infestation of mutant zombies hungrily zeroing in on your location while beating the drums of war. A time when you either find yourself hitting that snooze button a few dozen times more than you did at the start of the year, or you begin contemplating if skipping that ***one class really would make a difference. Because really, what’s missing one lecture compared to getting two more hours of glorious sleep?
Believe me, I understand your misery. As the Winter semester starts to close we all start to feel our motivation slip between our fingers as we lose what little inspiration we have managed to hold onto until this point. Whether you be in first year or fourth, it’s hard to stay focused when all you want to do is nothing. So, how do you beat it? It’s a question every unmotivated student finds themselves asking, and to which I have a very simple, if not controversial answer: You don’t.
Now, don’t misunderstand — I’m not saying give up and just quit, because that is not only a waste of your money, but also a huge waste of the effort you have put into your classes. What I am saying, however, is that sometimes you need to breathe, relax, take a day off, and just blow it. When you lack the inspiration to motivate yourself, it is not because you don’t care anymore, but rather that the process of completing one assignment only to find another lined up and ready has left you ragged. When this happens, no amount of effort to stay on track will work, because even if you do attempt to barrel on through, you only find yourself half-assing all your assignments.
It is at this point in the year that taking time for yourself becomes crucial. Look at your schedule and mark down every due date up until and including your finals. Know your timelines and then make the time to enjoy yourself. It doesn’t matter what you do, whether it be calling up a group of pals and playing D&D, reading that book you’ve been putting off, or just laying on the couch and watching Netflix while scarfing down large quantities of junk food, it is important that you do something to relax your nerves. Trust me, a little off time here and there will do a lot more for your concentration and grades than pulling 10-hour study sessions off ever will.
An end-of-semester slump can be a hard thing to break out of, so you need to make an effort to keep moving forward, and UFV provides a lot of opportunities to involve yourself in new activities. You can lift a few weights in the gym, participate in the FSA-sponsored Easter-egg hunt, check out the Kariton Art Gallery’s Imagination in reality, meet new people at games night in the Global Lounge on Thursdays, or salsa dance on Fridays! Hell, you can even join a club or two, or sign up at The Cascade newspaper to write pieces on helping students survive the winter blues. Whatever you choose, make it fun and make it different, because while it is true you are here to learn, you also need to remember to live.
