Virus or no virus, the end of the school year — with all its deadlines — is coming up fast.
Chances are you're wrapping up the most challenging semester of your academic career. The many adjustments that schools have made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have closed campuses, displaced residential students, and moved face-to-face classes online. Courses are continuing for most students, but all the disruption and uncertainty are only adding to normal anxieties that come with finishing the academic year.
You can lower your stress levels when you know exactly what you have to get done and have a plan for accomplishing it. Here, we have some tips to help you finish strong.
Inventory the must-dos. Your first step is taking inventory of the work you have to do. Start by carefully checking each syllabus and your planner or assignment notebook (or app if that’s your schedule go-to). You want to be sure nothing falls through the cracks. It might also be a good idea to email your professor if you’re worried about missing any work or wondering if you could be doing something extra to shore up your grade.
Prioritize. Once you have a handle on the work that needs to be done, start building your plan for accomplishing it by prioritizing the tasks. What will take longest? What is most important? What should you start with? Rank the small goals as well as the big goals.
Strategize. Take that prioritized list and come up with a plan for accomplishing each task on it. Do you need to create your own study guide for a course or two? Do you need to schedule a virtual meeting with a professor, classmate, or study group? Note those action plans with the relevant task.
Make a timeline. Sit down with a calendar and enter each assignment, marking how many days it will reasonably take to finish it, and accounting for your completion plans. A paper calendar will probably work best here.
Create a schedule. This should be easy — just convert your timeline to a schedule. So if it will take from Sunday through Thursday to write your history term paper, your entry for Sunday says “start history paper,” and so on. Having a schedule means every time you sit down to work, you won’t waste time wondering what to do first.
Stick to your schedule. This could be the most challenging part of working toward your strong finish. There will be inevitable setbacks, and worries about COVID-19 will create serious distractions, but don’t let them throw you off track. Get help when you need it and be sure to stay on top of your game by staying healthy, getting enough rest, and taking breaks to meet up virtually with friends.
