The end of the semester is fast approaching. Buckle up! Do not crash and burn because of procrastination and lack of planning. No, you made it too far to throw the white flag. What you need is a short, comprehensive guide to aid you to the finish line. These few tips will keep your eyes on the road to victory here at Vanderbilt and even help you develop a strategy for finishing the semester as a champion.
1. Prioritize Self-Care
With finals already among us, it can be easy to overwhelm ourselves with hours of studying and reading over notes. While a social detox is an easy quick-fix, make sure you take care of yourself too. Maybe it has been a few weeks since you hit the gym; you can start good habits today. Or you miss being part of the community; treat yourself to a sports game with friends or investigate what organizations are doing for the final days of the semester. Also, don’t shy away from eating all day. We all need food, and a sufficient amount of it, to fuel our bodies throughout the day.
2. Talk to Your Professors
If you have not yet scheduled office hours with your instructor or barely made small talk all this time, now is your final chance to connect with them. Taking their course means having access to them, and connections will help guide your career path and secure a job when you graduate. Especially if you are unsatisfied with your course grade, you will be surprised how helpful and understanding instructors can be. Even better, professors are (likely) not going anywhere! Do not miss this great opportunity!
3. Time Crunch like a Champ
Maybe you have a Google calendar with some of your to-dos already, or you’ve managed to get by all semester without reminding yourself what there is to do. Despite where you fit, you should consider maximizing your use of time. Doing this does not entail stressing yourself out with all-nighters. Maximizing time means completing work, maintaining good habits, and having fun! Along with improving self-care, good time management profoundly reduces stress and enables you to live life prepared for what’s to come. (And if your time management is above and beyond, you might even decide to sacrifice some study time for social hour and will still be fine!)
4. Study Smart
Some people can study for hours straight with superb productivity. But for most people, this way of studying does not work very well. (Keep in mind that our attention span is in the seconds too!) Research has proven that studying in increments is the most successful strategy. This way of studying does not mean you can work on calculus for one minute then scroll through Instagram for five. You will still need to commit a considerable amount of time to navigate through your work pile. A plus to this method (called Pomodoro, by the way) is that you can alternate subjects to reduce stress. Ideally, you can focus on an intensive course for an hour and then switch to something less demanding for thirty minutes. From personal experience, I almost enjoy studying now because of how manageable it is!
5. Experience Vanderbilt (Literally!)
It’s easy to forget the profusion of resources available to us commodores. Need help in STEM? Tutoring spots are waiting for you. Want to plan your professional portfolio for your dream career? The career center will happily guide you to the necessary steps. Above all, the students sitting next to you in class, and the ones roaming the halls, have a galore of student organizations and action groups to match your interests and keep you well-socialized. And if you haven’t snapped a LinkedIn-ready headshot with our splendid campus as the background, the time to act is now! All that said, do not blind yourself to what Vanderbilt can offer you.
Conclusion
These five tips will not magically do wonders, but they can lead to success, winning in both academia and life. Furthermore, nothing works unless you do. Even if you do not faithfully follow these suggestions, commit to doing things that will aid your future self. Good luck with the finals, and enjoy the break!