by katiewynn
April is a hectic time of the semester. Midterms roll in on the heels of spring break and the assignments don’t let up until the last moments of finals. For seniors, cramming for thesis defenses, planning for post-grad, and finishing those final credits with a passable GPA can feel like both a marathon and a sprint. April in many ways can feel like an unrelenting Groundhog Day type situation culminating only in massive final papers and exams.
I compiled some tips that have helped me get through this brutal stage of the semester:
- Spend an hour reading a scholarly article that you’re actually interested in but has nothing to do with the assignment you should be working on. Take really detailed notes on it too.
- Read the label of a Dr. Bronner’s soap bottle, starting over every time your attention drifts. Easy meditation exercise to quiet the mind.
- Need to grind? Sit on the 3rd floor of the library in a t-shirt. Tell yourself you’re only allowed to put on a sweatshirt until your assignment is finished. Take advantage of the sweet silence and frigid chill that Howe Floor 3 has to offer. M-O-T-I-V-A-T-I-O-N.
- Drink a beer
- Find an article of clothing you really like on Depop that’s already been bagged by 6 people. Hyperfixate on it for about 3 hours before caving and buying it out of the good and simple anxiety that someone else will get it before you. Nothing like that instant, fleeting gratification to take your mind off your April woes.
- Add everyone you remember from your high school class on Linkedin. Shoot them a message if you’re really up for it.
- Make a new Spotify playlist for every slight emotion you experience and listen to it once. Never listen to the playlist again but keep it public. Cryptic title? Even better.
- Spend $4 on a Yerba Mate and only drink ¾ of it. Not your cup of tea? A $3 plain coffee from Henderson’s will do just fine for this.
- Talk to your therapist
Categories: April 12, reflections, sophie wolfe