By DJ Nelson, Staff Writer
The second half of the Spring semester is in full swing, from the rugby alumni match to Dean Khagram’s student town hall meeting, and more! Students’ routines have reset after spring break, and the days are just passing by. MGM’s are moving fast, as always, through their next set of courses, while the MAGAM’s are keeping pace as their courses continue on. Don’t panic, but there are only five or six weeks left of this semester.
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Before final projects, papers, and exams are due, do you have a plan to stay on track with your studies? Have you made your summer arrangements, so that you are not scrambling at the end of the semester? Did you water your plants? Sometimes I forget, too.
It can be hard to keep motivation and school spirits up this time of year, especially now that the sun is shining, the days are warmer, and the pool looks like a tempting oasis. I am not saying to not go to the pool and kick back for a while, because you will definitely see me there. My roommate described this weather as the beginning of the end. Meaning, get outside on nice days now because they are numbered, as summer is just around the corner. Make time for the outdoors, whether it’s taking a hike or sitting at a cafe patio.
Taking time to relax is very beneficial to productivity, but not all forms are healthy. Saying you are taking a break to stare at your Instagram feed may not be the best way to use that time. In fact, everyone disable all social media for the rest of the week. It might be extreme, but see how much you can get done when you open your phone and there is nothing there to see. Those of you who have already disconnected, or never were connected, bravo. My personal rule is to disable the apps Monday to Thursday, so my social media and my real social life are weekend occurrences.
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For a healthy method, physical activity is a great way to relieve stress, get your blood flowing to wake up, and reset your body and brain to be a better you. I have a long break between classes, so I use that time to swim laps at ASU’s rooftop pool. I never swam for sport, so the 30 minutes in the water is for reflection, meditation, and to learn the alphabet backwards.
Music lovers, I recently heard Jenifer Lopez describe a ‘banger’ as a really good song. So get yourself a ‘banger’ or two to jam out, free yourself, and get lost in the music. For many people, music can transport you somewhere else (mentally). The right tune can be the medicine you need after hours of studying to get you back into the productive groove.
I could go on about being smart with your time now so you don’t feel screwed later and the ways to relieve stress while increasing output, but many of us at this level have it figured out. At the end of the day, you want to feel accomplished, not burned out.
The purpose of this article was to remind everyone that our time here at Thunderbird is precious and the last moments should not be wasted on stress.
Courtesy of Blog Daily Herald