Best ways to overcome end-of-semester burnout
In an academic year leaving many students to feel in the dark, there’s finally a light at the end of the tunnel. We don’t know for sure when the pandemic will be over with, but with just a few weeks left in the semester, an academic year as mentally taxing and demanding as ever is nearly complete.
With summer on the horizon, it’s easy to get distracted thinking about what the next few months have in store. If you’re reaching your breaking point and need to stay productive through the next few weeks, here are some tips:
- Plan each day out in advance, especially on lightly scheduled days
On weekends or days with a light class schedule, I find myself getting caught up in all my free time that my productivity goes out the window. It’s much easier to stay on track by blocking off different times each day to accomplish anything I may need to, while also setting aside time to relax.
It’s a simple concept, and easier said than done. It’s ultimately up to you to stay disciplined to the time commitments you set for yourself. I’ve found that committing to zone in for an hour on a given task produces much better results than just saying, “Yeah, I’ll get to it at some point within the next eight hours.”
- Find a study partner
If you’re the type of person who needs someone else to hold you accountable, find a classmate/friend to keep you focused. It may be tricky to find someone to work with in-person during these times, but even setting up a Zoom meeting can be sufficient.
Getting another person to talk concepts out or go over a study guide with is a great way to engage with the material instead of just staring at a semester’s worth of slides. It’s much easier to get through these last few weeks with help rather than facing it by yourself.
- Improve your eating/sleeping habits, at least temporarily
I could live on pizza and burgers if I needed to, but in times where energy and concentration need to be at an all time high, taking better care of yourself physically will pay dividends for you mentally. Get ahead of the all-nighters during finals week by fueling up with extra sleep now, and attack all the main food groups at the dining hall to keep you feeling energized enough to get through a productive study session.
You can get back to the daily trips to Cane’s and video games till 3 am once summer hits. For at least these next few weeks, try to switch things up and help fend off burnout.
These are just a few general tips to help you get started. There’s obviously more that can be done, and what I listed may help some more than others. What matters most is setting yourself up for a final burst across the finish line, rather than a slow crawl.
