Well, Pios, we’ve happened upon a week during which not much has happened for me, so I’m not too sure what to write about here… :)
On one hand, these in-between times are nice. Not too busy, not too stressful, but also not too boring. I’ve really been getting back into my in-person classes routine and am hoping it stays this way! It feels nice to be rested, productive, and light every day.
As a freshman, I’ve been taking mostly gen-ed courses, of course (pun intended?) Last semester, I was only enrolled in one course that actually had any tests, and that was my Spanish class. This semester, however, I am not only in the next level of Spanish but also in a Psych class and my CORE 121-Numbers class, which requires quite a bit of reading due at the beginning of every class period.
Of course, I have other classes too. I’m overloading this semester (taking 20 credits instead of the typical 15-17). All of that on top of my involvement with the theatre department has taken nearly as long as this semester has been to get used to! That being said, I have yet to find myself completely overwhelmed by schoolwork as I may have expected. In fact, not only have I found it quite manageable, but I’ve found it so manageable because I’ve been forced to stop procrastinating…which is my DREAM! I’ve been procrastinating since the 6th grade (probably earlier). I own the book The Art of Procrastination (which, of course, I’ve never gotten around to reading. I was a high honors student in high school reading the novels for AP Lit the night before the test. I am a master procrastinator, and I always thought I’d just have to live with it forever.
It turns out, thankfully, that I was very wrong. I’m not sure what changed, but I’m glad it did. Here are some tips and tricks I think (THINK is the keyword here) may have been useful throughout my process:
Getting a planner or some kind of tangible way of keeping yourself accountable
Now, I used a planner in high school. Overused it, honestly. But only after I went the entire first semester without one did I realize how instrumental it is to my success. I live and die by my planner. Crossing my finished tasks throughout the day is better than drugs. Honestly, guys, it is.
Having a clean workspace
Now, I know how easy it can be to get messy, especially in dorm rooms. There’s such little space that everything just sort of seems to pile up out of nowhere. I don’t mean to sound like a Youtube influencer from 2016 when I say this, but creating a space where you actually want to work is HUGE. For me, it’s my tiny little dorm desk, on top of which I have my crystals and an essential oil diffuser. Aromatherapy is another huge part of my being able to feel calm and productive in a space.
Not studying for like 6 hours straight
Take a break, take a nap, go to Maggie’s for a walk and a snack. Do some stretches! During Zoom school especially, I would get up every half hour to go stand by the window and do some stretches. It really, really helped.
Finding some ambient noise that puts me in a happy mood while studying
Now, I know not everyone likes to study with music on. I, however, am a personal proponent of lofi. My current hyperfixation is a video titled “bo burnham songs but lofi” that I’ve probably listened to about 127 times in the past two weeks (really outing myself here). If you like listening to music when you study, try finding something repeatable that brings you joy so you can look forward to the enjoyment it brings when you study!
Now, I know that none of these tips are new or revolutionary, but they certainly have helped me become a better student. As soon as I stopped dreading homework, the easier it was just to sit down and get it over with. It’s been really amazing, and I hope you guys can get there too if you’ve also been struggling with procrastination and school anxiety for approximately your entire life.
That’s all for this week, Pios! Unfortunately, the Bon did not have any appetizing soups (to me) this week and I am both too broke/busy at the moment to travel for the sake of soup. Hoping to have some more reviews for you all next week!
-Mack
(they/them)
email: mwille@lclark.edu
insta: @mack_mae11