Trailblazing Unleashed

It’s that time of year. Courses are simultaneously winding down and ramping up, and stress levels are as high as they’re ever going to get. If you’re like me, you’re not going to prioritize anything but academic excellence until all is said and done. Hopefully this article can change your outlook a bit and give you some strategies to handle this year’s finals with ease.

Stress Management

if you’re anything like me, you’re starting to feel reality closing in on you. It feels like this semester just started, and final papers are looming around the corner.

Stop. Take a breath.

This semester is not the end all be all for you. It’s merely a step in your journey.

Stress is going to hold you down. The more stressed you are about something, the harder it is going to be for you to succeed. I’m all for a little bit of healthy fear for motivation, but make sure it’s in moderation. Keep that in mind as we go over some stress management techniques.

Take time for yourself. I know it may seem like you have absolutely no spare time. You do. Somethings can wait. Take a few minutes of your day to take care of yourself, so you can keep kicking butt in your academics.

Go outside! I’m sure you saw this one coming, but as an adventurer myself, this one’s important to me. Taking a few minutes each day to take a walk, or even working on your assignments outside can boost your mood and your focus. Trust me on this one.

Get active. Having a break from your mass of homework will do you some good! Movement can clear your head and keep you centered.

Reach out. Talk to your family and friends! Most of them are going through the same stressors you are. Share the load with those you care about. And sometimes even reach out to your professors or teachers. They’re people too, and often they can help you reduce your workload by giving you extensions.

Have a cool down routine. When you stop working for the day, do a few things to get your brain out of academic mode. For me, I spend some time with my pets, take a walk, or even read before bed. This can really help me feel centered and establishes a sense of work life balance for me.

Planning and Prioritizing

When the workflow picks up, you’re going to have to make some choices. Make sure that these choices really reflect what you care about! If there is one class that’s going to further your academics more than another, dedicate more time to that one, if that’s what’s important to you!

Planning your time ahead can really help this prioritization process. If you use a planner, take this time to work out what work you will complete each day. Visualizing your week ahead can help you understand how much time you’ll have to dedicate to each task. The farther ahead you plan, the less overwhelmed you’ll be in the end.

Sleep and Health

This is a big one. You won’t get anywhere this finals season if you’re sleeping through your exams. Make sure that you’re prioritizing your sleep and your health. No final is worth losing physical or mental health over. And, the better you sleep, the better you will be able to focus and preform.

Additionally, make sure you’re eating and paying attention to your body! Once again, feeling unwell is not unimportant. You should be prioritizing your health over your academics. Your professors will understand, reach out to them if necessary!

What’s Important

If you take nothing else away from this post, remember this.

You are worth so much more than your grades. You are a complete and whole person no matter how well you test. Be kind to yourself. You are loved and deserving of so much more.

Good luck on all your finals and take care of yourself!

Trailblaze on!

–Kaya