Student Blog: Dealing With End-of-Semester Burnout

Good Morning!

You may have heard a saying before, that goes: "Never trust how you feel past 9pm". I used to not think about it too much, but now I get it. I have had trouble falling asleep these last few Sundays, worrying about what my week was going to look like, only to wake up Monday morning with a much clearer head. This is what I have been doing to keep calm in the final stretch of the semester.

1. Organization

Plan out what you want to do throughout the week, and even write it down if you want to. However, do not make yourself follow each plan perfectly to a tee. Use your to-do list as a reference guide, not a step-by-step instruction manual. We feel differently each day; sometimes your brain is really in it in the morning, sometimes your brain isn't really plugged in until the evening. At 10:00 AM you could be in the mood for music theory homework, and then your brain could switch into history mode at 10:20. You may suddenly have the urge to send that very important email at 10:25. If switching between tasks quickly helps you absorb information better and work more productively, then do it! You know yourself best; do what you can in order to process the information in a timely matter.

2. Chores

Don't put yourself down if there are chores that are overdue: vacuuming, laundry, that stuff. It sounds ugly, but if this is your case, you are not alone, trust me. There are some things that can wait.

3. Physical Health!!

With all that being said, nothing should come before your physical health: I'm talking about food, sleep, medication, all that. Drop your studying if you need to, even if it's for the rest of the day. If you are studying while hungry and/or tired, chances are you're not giving the material as much attention as you could be giving it. You can study while eating if you really want to. I understand genuinely forgetting to eat or losing track of time, just don't ignore what your body needs for too long, or it will start to fight back without your permission.

4. Talk!

Talking about the material you are learning helps SO MUCH. Annoy your older siblings with stuff you've learned in class. If you have a pet, tell them what you are studying for finals. Play your jury pieces for them if you have juries, practice your oral presentations with them if applicable. Your dog may not be able to give you much feedback, but at least you'll have more practice under your belt than you did before, and hopefully you will feel more calm.

Talk to your friends and ask them how their classes are going, and let them tell you what they're learning! You don't even have about school at all! Sometimes you just need a little human interaction to release some stress.

5. Make yourself comfortable

While you're at school, carry snacks with you, carry earbuds, bring a stuffed animal, whatever you need to help you relax. At times, I have found myself caught in a loop where I'm trying so hard to focus on studying that everything around me suddenly becomes incredibly annoying, and I slowly lose my focus. I've found that sometimes you just need to take yourself away from a study session if it's resulting in too much frustration. Watch a funny video, look at the sunset, make yourself a quick snack, anything like that, and you may find that you quickly get your energy back so you can keep working.

The biggest piece of advice I want to give is: don't end the day frustrated. Before you go to bed, reflect on all the work you have done, and be proud of yourself, because it is not easy stuff. Take it one step at a time, because one thing about finals week is that it will always, ALWAYS pass.

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