Anna-Catherine Kueng ~ Assistant Editor
With the start of second semester, and being in four English classes (for my major), I am already feeling overwhelmed. Also, with summer at the end of this semester, it is harder to find motivation to make it through the cold beginning weeks of the semester.
However, I am trying to stay encouraged even in the midst of heavy reading and writing assignments. Here are my recommendations of how to have a successful next few months of school.
- Go to class. This probably is not a problem for most students at the beginning of the semester, but I know around April, when the weather is beautiful, the temptation to skip class grows; however, if you miss class, you will likely get behind, and it will be even harder to turn in all your assignments.
- Do at least one fun thing on the weekend. I do not mean you need to go skydiving or anything crazy, but at least watch a good movie or go out to eat with your friends. When I have a lot of assignments, I know I have the tendency to put off self-care and instead commit myself completely to my homework; but, that is not a healthy thing to do.
- Find a designated friend who will listen to your rants. For me, my roommate (who is also my best friend) is the one who gets to hear my complaints about school. We also have classes together, so we can talk about them together. Even though it seems counterintuitive to complain, I always feel better after I express how I am feeling to a friend.
- Get sleep. Last semester, I stayed up until midnight or 1 a.m. almost every night. However, after I got sick with the flu over break, I realized how important it is to get sleep. I know it can feel impossible to get a decent amount of sleep with homework, but sometimes you have to make sacrifices for what is important — your health.
- Have something to look forward to each month. For me, I look forward to getting to go home on some weekends and see loved ones at home. Maybe you enjoy going home, or it could be something simple like going shopping at the mall. Just have something you can look ahead to to help you get through hard times in the present.
- Be thankful. I am guilty of not being grateful during the school year, but it really can lead to me developing a negative attitude. Sometimes, I complain just because everyone else around me is, but it can become a habit that is hard to break. If a class is hard, it is hard. You do not need to constantly talk about how it is one of the worst things that have ever happened to you (guilty, again). Things probably are not as bad as you think, so just try to find the positive, even in unpleasant circumstances.
As my favorite quote by Henri Matisse goes, “There are always flowers for those who want to see them.”
