Student Blog: The Essential Tools for the Last Month of School

We’ve officially made it to the point in the school year where “half” can be used to describe both the amount of the semester that has been completed and the energy we’re putting into our assignments. Spring semester always seems to hold a tedious and work-loaded month-long period between March and April that just seems impossible to power through. But luckily, with the help of these essential tools, I have managed to pull through midterms and start April off strong:

A PLANNER

My lifeline since senior year of high school has been a well-organized planner. Having ADHD, the phrase “out of sight, out of mind” is very literal for me, so I keep everything written down. As the workload has grown over the last month, I’ve developed a new system that helps me to separate work from school: keeping a weekly list of assignments by due date that is separate from my planner. This has allowed me to allot specific periods of time to do work, and then choose assignments from there, rather than cramming random assignments into all my free time. It also prevents that overwhelming feeling of having no life outside of school.

A MASSIVE WATER BOTTLE

With temperatures rising here in Florida, a giant water bottle is an essential for getting through a day outdoors. I always carry a 32 or 20 oz water bottle with me, so that I can refill it if needed. This keeps me hydrated and helps me to save money that I would have to spend buying bottled water throughout the day. Which brings me to my next item…

REUSABLE CUPS

On my most recent trip to New York in March, I was on a Sprite kick, which got me through the long days of early-morning rush tickets and late-night performances. I got in the habit of ordering soda at the bars inside the theatres and ended up returning home with a “haul” of cups. To combat the post-show depression, I’ve been making or ordering my daily coffee in one of my Broadway cups, which is also more environmentally friendly than ordering my drink in a plastic cup, and many coffee shops offer a discount to customers who bring their own cups!

TOTE BAGS

They’re easy to carry, light on your neck, and hold plenty of easily accessible items. For these reasons, tote bags have become my go-to for carrying my laptop, notebooks, and other supplies around. Not to mention, they provide sufficient storage for my giant water bottles.

COLORED PENS

My key to note-taking as a college student has been using colored pens. This is a more obvious inclusion, but it allows me to take festive notes during holidays and make more visually appealing notes that I want to study. Not to mention, the colored pens make words stand out in my memory when I’m taking tests or working on projects.

NOISE-CANCELLING HEADPHONES

In a month where it's sunnier than ever, I’m craving summer. I constantly want to be outside, and while working outside is a great solution to this, I feel distracted by everything lately. I would much rather be out, making memories, than working on classwork. Noise-canceling headphones have been my savior, giving me a way to lock in and focus on the task in front of me. I always feel like time passes so quickly when I’m wearing them, and I’ve made plenty of playlists to match my various moods and energy levels.

As another year of school comes to a close, I’m looking forward to a summer of lavender iced lattes and bowls of watermelon on the beach. However, the semester isn’t quite over yet, so having these tools handy has helped me to make this last month of class as interesting as possible, therefore setting myself up for success.

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