writing: Rachel Lehman
design: Natalia Favila Inacua
permission to print: Rachel Lehman
Nothing quite pushes me to my limits like the second semester, especially as a senior. I was already struggling with senioritis and motivation my junior year, but this year it’s on a whole new level. I consider myself to be very academically motivated yet my third quarter grades suffer every. single. time. Luckily those reading get to learn from my mistakes and together we can finish off the year strong.
- Keep a tidy workspace
My desk is in my room by a window 6 feet from my bed. As of right now, it’s covered in make-up brushes and mascara but usually when not used as a vanity, I use it for homework. Like I mentioned, it’s in my room, and if there are people reading who can get work done while having a dirty room, they must have magical powers. However, I am not one of those people. Even if it takes a whole day to get it all refreshed, I guarantee it’s worth cleaning because it will physically feel better, and I can focus on work instead of the laundry that was meant to be put away two weeks ago.
- Have a change in environment
For me, having my desk and bed in the same room is risky. If it were a battle: desk vs. bed unfortunately, the bed would win just about every time. This is why I try to change environments often, especially if it’s a space where I can get natural sunlight, and I won’t be tempted to watch TV or TikToks in bed. I try to get out of the house and go to the library if I really need to focus, or if I want a little more laid-back space, a cafe. I try to switch up where I go or where I sit often so it’s something that I look forward to rather than dread.
- Keep organized
I cannot stress enough how important it is to stay organized. If I don’t write in my planner what homework I must do for each class, just assume I won’t be doing anything because not only will I not remember but also when I write it down it pushes myself to actually get it done. There are some days when I write down all my tasks and I’ll stare at it like “wow, I really don’t want to do this” so I’ll number them depending on how much I do or don’t want to do them. For example, if I have five tasks, I’ll number one as the task I want to do the most and five as the one I want to do the least and begin with number five and work backwards so that I can get the less exciting things out of the way first.
- Have an end goal
My last piece of advice that goes along with staying organized is to have an end goal. In my planner, I create a “to do” section where I put my goals for the week. This could be studying for a test or beginning parts of a presentation. I should also mention it’s important to take breaks! From my experience, camming everything instead of planning what to do each day a little at a time, equals a train wreck. Once it comes test time and all I did was try to get the homework done, uh oh I’m in trouble. Also, cramming just makes school so unappealing, it’ll be viewed it as a negative thing every time. By setting little goals whether it be big or small and being able to say “I accomplished this today/this week” will help with motivation and viewing school more positively. We’re almost there, keep going!
