TYLER MASON-DRAFFEN
Staff Writer
If you’re reading this article, you’re still probably recovering from the colossal amount of food you ate for Thanksgiving. Delicious, yet very, very grotesque.
Unlike a lot of other campuses, Fredonia is one SUNY school that actually had a full week off for break. During the break, professors probably assigned a lot of work in preparation for the upcoming finals. Like me, you probably tried to avoid doing any work until the very last minute. Because honestly, who wants get work done when there’s a week to enjoy friends, family and that food that still lingers on your taste buds?
I hate to break it to you all, but it’s time to buck up.
There’s always this overwhelming slump that possesses people whenever a relaxing season comes around. It doesn’t only affect seniors, so don’t think you’re apt to catch it. The winter season, similar to the summer, makes people want to give up work and just relax.
Well, why not prove yourself wrong? Really try to focus on the last assignments of the fall semester. There are plenty of ways to do that.
One of the many things people always forget to do during the last couple of weeks of the semester is sleep. You must be crazy if you think I will ever miss out on my sleep.
Plan accordingly on how you study for those assignments. There is no need to cram. I repeat, there is NO NEED to cram! It only makes things worse. Things get all messy in your mind and when you combine that with little sleep, things get even worse. Plus, if you study a good amount each day, you tend to know more than you think.
Dead Week in Fredonia is dedicated to giving people extra time to keep the noise down and study wherever on campus you may be. If you’re a library person, get yourself situated there (I’ve never heard so much silence there in my life). And if you’re used to studying in your room, enjoy the quietness of the dorm for the week.
Set a good amount of time to study, then follow it up with a decent break. For example, if you study for an hour, take a 15 minute break. Something long enough that you can stretch and walk around, but short enough that you don’t go and watch an episode of your favorite television show.
If you don’t like using time as your break reference, base your break on the amount of problems you do. If you know you have 100 questions to do, complete the first 50 and then take a break.
Finally, don’t let others distract you from doing work. Free time seems 10 times more fun when you have to complete work, but try to exercise self-control and say, “No thanks.” Think about how it probably would’ve been fun, but focusing on work is better in the long run.
Put your phone on silent and store it somewhere where you can’t see it. Out of sight, out of mind. You’ll get less distracted over time and maybe even forget that you had your phone with you.
My housemate once said that time is a relative thing. Everyone always complains about how there isn’t enough time to do things. Well, make time. There’s always that time of day when you’re doing absolutely nothing — when something can be done. I’m not talking about breaks from work; I’m talking about when you’re lying in bed thinking about how good that burrito from El Diablo was. Map out a lot of what you want to get accomplished. It will be a lot better for you in the long run!