What happens when your homework radar goes from zero to sixty in 3.5 class periods? You find ways to manage when your schedule goes sketchy.
On Monday, I was perceiving this would be a relatively easy week. I knew of a paper and a test that would be next week, but that was the least of my worries – studying is what the weekend is for, right?
This week’s classes made me think a little differently (and revamped the epidemic of low motivation I have been recently experiencing.) As I journeyed through my class schedule this week, I began to be overwhelmed with the assignments that were to be due.
Each class I went to had at least one paper due at the end of this week or early next week. This made my laid-back schedule skyrocket to the extremes – how could I finish five five-page research and reflection papers in six days?
1. I broke down my schedule. I used sticky notes to organize my assignments and figure out what time and what place I would work on each essay.
Communications: JP’s Coffee Shop. Morning. Basic essay, sweet spot.
Cultural Heritage: Library. Evenings. More difficult paper… trying to identify the issues associated with Aristotle and Plato’s theories of virtue and what makes a “good” person in their terms.
Intro to Lit Studies: Kollen lounge. Late night. This is because it was raining and I didn’t want to walk around outside… lazy college student problems.
Intro to Leadership: Two papers. Random places, random times. Actually, I wrote one of them while I was at a Center for Writing and Research meeting for one of my other papers… which leads me into my next resource to manage stress.
2. The Center for Writing and Research. One of Hope’s most wonderful resources located on the first floor of the library. Not only is it better than any peer review you’ll ever have, but, secret of the day: They send your professor an email to say that you visited them, and also what they helped you improve with your essay.
3. I took more time to do things for myself. It’s easy to burn yourself out if you’re writing and researching all of the time, so I set apart times when I could take breaks and do things to make myself feel more energized. Working out at the Dow, drinking coffee, doing yoga, and indulging on some snacks from the Kletz don’t usually buy (for example, fresh strawberries and fruit dip), are all ways to keep my mind and body in check and naturally relieve stress in the process.
Hope these tips are helpful in your college experience – they’ve gotten me this far, and I’ll be relying on them for much of the rest of my college career. The best part? Knowing that when this is all over, the next few weeks will be relatively easy.
Have a great weekend! Keep up with me @hopesophie17 or email me at sophie.guetzko@hope.edu with any questions you may have.