BRIONA SAAS
Special to The Leader
What’s up, fellow students? I hope your break was filled with family, friends and fun — as it should be. I get it: We all wish break would last forever, but, like me, I bet you missed something about being back at FRED.
Going back to school after a break is hard. We’re used to not having an alarm wake us up, eating delicious home cooked meals and having familiar faces around. It’s comforting, I know, but we are so close to the home stretch. Let’s not come back to school sad and wishing we never left home; let’s come back pumped to get through these finals (which are not too far away), and when we’re done we can enjoy a month’s worth of waking up without an alarm during winter break!
Stay Positive
A great way to get through these weeks before break is to change your attitude. It’s a short time, and as we’ve learned, these weeks fly by. Put all of your focus and energy into your finals; trust me — it will be worth it. Let’s spend winter break worry-free about our grades and feel confident we did well, rather than spend the whole time feeling anxious about doing poorly.
De-stress for Success
Another way to conquer these next few weeks without stress is by not adding on more stress! It’s a common mistake made by many of us, and it’s so simple to reverse it. STUDY! Not studying and feeling unprepared for your finals will add way more stress and won’t help your grades either.
Sleep, Sleep, Sleep
SLEEP! Get the z’s you deserve — it makes you feel so much better than when you don’t, and we need to keep our minds happy and energized, especially at times like these.
Eat Regularly
Don’t skip out on meals. Nourish your mind; it can actually help you do better, believe it or not. If you’re skipping meals, you’re going to get hungry eventually — sorry — and if you’re thinking about eating during a time you need all your focus on your studies, then you’re adding more stress to your life!
What are some ways to get rid of stress if you’re already overwhelmed? My one true piece of advice that always works for me is to think of things that make you happy. Fill your mind with positive thoughts. What makes you happy? What are your passions? If you are beginning to feel overwhelmed with stress, take a break and approach your challenges with a clear head.
Another tip to relieve the stress that comes with finals is to plan ahead. Make a schedule for yourself and actually follow it! Make the schedule easy, and do a little bit each day — even if it means starting way before the day of your final. You’ll be thankful you did when it’s the night before your exam and you’re not stressed about learning all the material in one night.
Now, once you’ve made your plan, you have to stick to it. There are so many temptations in college that will make us want to put off everything, but think of it in the long run. Would you rather goof off for a few days and mess yourself up for your exams in the long run, or stay in and study for a few days and be free to do what you want and forever be proud of your success? Take this time to relieve yourself from stress and find out more about yourself. This is only a small obstacle we have to get through and, once we do, it will be amazing and so worth it.