Editorials

5 Ways to Push Through That End of Semester Slump

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22 May 2019

By Bronwen

It’s nearly June and you’re still working while some of your friends are done for the year. Your friends have Snapchat stories of themselves relaxing and enjoying their free time while you’re sitting in the library colour coding your revision timetable.

Many students experience a feeling of exhaustion or a complete lack of motivation at this point and it’s easy to understand why. The end of the year is within your reach but still so far away. If you’re going through a bit of a slump at the moment, don’t let it define your last few weeks of the semester. Instead, try some of our tips to try and push through and hopefully find a new lease of energy to take you to the end of semester.

1) Remind yourself why you do what you do

A huge part of the slump feeling comes as you lose focus of your goals and everything you’ve done so far to achieve them. Some ways to refocus are to write down your goals for the next few years and think about how everything you’re doing now will in some way or another lead you to where you want to be.

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2) Confide in a friend

Anyone that says they’ve never experienced a slump is a liar. Even those people who always seem to have their life in order go through periods of feeling like they’re stuck in a rut. If you reach out to a friend and explain to them that you feel like you’ve hit the wall, they may be able to give you specific, personalised advice on how to overcome your situation. You could ask a lecturer/teacher/personal tutor in your institution for their advice since they were also a student once an in the exact same boat as you are. Never suffer in silence!

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3) Take a break:

One of the main reasons you become sluggish and unmotivated is by overworking and not taking proper care of yourself. The work-rest balance is different for everyone, but it is essential to take time to allow your mind and body to relax otherwise you’ll end up in a situation where all of the work you’re doing is meaningless. Some ideas for a break: get some exercise, meet with a friend for a coffee, watch a few episodes of a show you like, cook yourself something you find comforting.

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4) Don’t give in to negative feelings:

Being in a slump can make you feel like you’re no good at what you do or that things will never get better. Remember to be rational and put a name on your emotions. For example, if you’re struggling to do work and end up watching videos on YouTube and taking Buzzfeed quizzes until you’re too tired to do anything, identify that you’re just procrastinating and try to identify what is stopping you from working.

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5) Use the 15-minute method:

A lot of people who struggle with motivation use the 15-minute method to get their work done. Basically, you force yourself to work for 15 minutes and if after 15 minutes you’re still struggling, you can stop.

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