Tips for surviving the final weeks of the semester

I have officially reached the last few weeks of school! As exciting as that is, school gets crazier and busier as the time winds down so I am in work mode all week long. And like most college students/grad students, I have other responsibilities to handle these last few weeks as well.

However, after 8+ semesters of college, I've figured out many ways to survive the most hectic weeks of the semester. I want to share 4 of my favorite tips, and I hope they will help you succeed and finish up strong! I am aiming for a 4.0 semester, so I have to do well on these final class assignments.

4 tips I use for surviving the last weeks of the semester (high school, college, grad school, etc.)

1. Organize and plan ahead - I know I mention organization all of the time, but being organized and planning ahead seriously has helped me every semester of college! It's so important to find an organization method that works for you, and to know what your schedule looks like during the final weeks of school. Everything can become really overwhelming if you don't. Check out this post on planning for a busy week of college here.

2. Stay motivated - Confession: last week I was chillin' super hard, as if I was already on summer vacation. My motivation has just plateaued. It was a combination of coming back from Spring Break and very full weeks that just made me want to stop doing work altogether. But that is the best way to ruin all of the hard work that you've already done this semester. I had to find motivation to focus my energies back on my school work and really buckle down. I find motivation in reading articles on inspirational people, reading my gratitude journal, flipping through my agenda and physically seeing how much I've already done in one semester, and by reading the bible and other inspirational messages. 

3. Change your environment - At this point in the semester, my typical work/study space becomes all too comfortable. I usually like to study at my apartment, but during the final weeks of school I have to change my study space to somewhere on campus (where I know I won't fall asleep or start watching Bravo). The library can be a war zone during the last few weeks of school, so I try to avoid that building altogether. But I do find quiet study spaces in random buildings on campus and get lots of work/studying done in that environment.

4. Find an accountability partner - This can be difficult, but extremely helpful. I only have a couple of friends who I know are willing to stay up late or wake up early to study/do work during the final weeks of school. And I appreciate those friends so much. They motivate me to stay focused, stay organized, and stay confident about my abilities. These are also great friends to vent to during these last few weeks because they will totally understand where you're coming from :)

And if it's already final exam week for you -- check out this popular posts:

Finals Week Preparation 

5 Ways to Celebrate After Finals 

Posts for Graduates