Photo by: Unseen Studio
After reading week, Brock students are returning to classrooms for the last five weeks before the exam period begins. With it being the winter semester, this is the last few weeks of classes before graduation for many Brock students.
While an exciting yet nerve-wracking period, seeing the finish line can be both tiring and motivating. Here are some tips on how to maintain or increase that motivation to finish off the winter term.
Organization and Time Management
The end of the semester is an overwhelming period, with a pile of deadlines for final assignments fast approaching. It can be helpful to write down each assignment with its due date to help visualize and break down what needs to be done while knowing the timeline to know when it should be started.
Figuring out when to start is crucial, as starting early and breaking it into smaller parts can help ease the weight of the assignment. For example, if there is an eight-page paper due at the end of the week, instead of leaving it until the last minute you could work on two pages per day to relieve the load of a big paper.
Realistic Goal Setting
Quality work often comes from knowing one’s strengths and limits. Setting achievable goals are more motivating since unrealistic and unattainable goals can hinder motivation. Realistic goals are specific, in a way that helps you focus on primary tasks and filter out unnecessary and distracting ones. They should also be attainable based on one’s skills and timed schedule.
There is no shame in knowing when to step back; if there is a class you believe is holding you back then you could consider talking to an academic advisor about the possibility of dropping it. Brock’s withdrawal date without academic penalty for D3 courses is March 10th.
Having a Support System
Whether it’s family, friends or classmates, like anything else in life, it’s easier when there are people around you to offer support. It’s difficult and tiring having to do everything yourself, and having a support system around you can hold you accountable when it comes to completing tasks. Meeting up with a classmate can help increase motivation as it forces oneself to study, while both you and the classmate can also benefit from learning from each other.
Taking Breaks
You can’t run a car on an empty gas tank, and it’s the same with our bodies. We need to rest to refuel and have the energy to complete tasks. This can also help reduce the chance of burnout, especially since we’re so far in the semester. Taking breaks is essential and students shouldn’t undermine its importance. Remember university is not only textbooks and classes, take some time to do activities you enjoy too as this will only benefit you in the long run.
Ultimately, remember why you started in the first place. It has been a long journey for some and it’s only the beginning for other students. It’s important to celebrate the small victories we may sometimes take for granted, and to pace oneself while keeping an eye on the end goal.