Written by Kenya Sykes
We’ve made it to the last two months of the 2020-2021 school year. These months may consist of finals, state testing, and wrap up work. So, that means that it’s very important to give it your best effort. Your work now may determine your final GPA and test scores. I recognize this may feel slightly overwhelming, especially for juniors and seniors. So, I’ll walk you through the best way to get all of your work complete.
Breaks!
The first thing that I can recommend to every student I’d give yourself some breaks. With all of the work that we currently have to do, taking breaks is basically essential. Give yourself time to relax and rejuvenate so that you don’t feel burned out when returning to your school work. These breaks don’t have to be anything unusual. It can be watching television, taking a nap, going out for food, going for a run, or anything that you enjoy. Scheduling time for yourself at a time like this will make this time much easier.
Use your free time!
The second recommendation that I have is to take advantage of free time. This may sound like a contradiction since I just said take breaks. However, this means that you will need to prioritize managing your time and knowing your limits. If you have some extra time and don’t feel drained from the work you’ve already done, I would always recommend working ahead. This can be helpful for getting your schoolwork done faster than the scheduled time, or giving yourself a break in the future. Taking advantage of this time should help ease the stress that students are feeling.
Take a breath!
The last thing that I’ll recommend is not being too hard on yourself. Criticism is more harmful than useful. You should recognize what you may need to change. But being hard on yourself does nothing but shatter your confidence. Realize what you need more help with and make an effort to get better. Don’t tear yourself down over a simple mistake or over something that could be fixed by studying. If you feel like you’re falling behind or that you’re overwhelmed, please talk to someone. Whether it’s your teacher, parent, or one of your friends, stress is much easier to deal with when you have support. Take a minute to breathe and go back into it with a smile on your face. This is the best way to overcome pressure and strain. It’s harder to get your work done efficiently when you’re tearing yourself down over simple mistakes.
While I did just provide some advice to students, I realize this may not work for everyone. This blog post is mainly for students who feel lost and don’t know how to get through this period. Feel free to take the advice I listed, even if you have a concrete plan in mind. But if you already have your own plan, then you’re more than welcome to follow it. Always do what works best for you and work your hardest.
