To be a Student and to Have a Life
by Raegan Densmore
October; the time of orange, cinnamon, and spooky movies. For me, however, it is also the time of midterms and mid-semester assignments. It’s quite unfortunate that when the holiday seasons roll around, that's when all of the assignments are due. It makes me feel like I am missing out. Last year, I hardly ever thought about it being the holiday season. I would not go anywhere or do anything because I had assignments and exams coming up. But that is not how it should be. I believe one should be able to work hard while also enjoying themselves and live life. So this time around I took a different approach to schoolwork.
The first thing that needed to go immediately was procrastination. Every year my classes tend to have their due dates for assignments around the same time. This week, I have multiple assignments due, and specifically an eventful Thursday, because I have three due then. As stressful as these days, and weeks appear, I think they’ve actually trained me in a way. Because I literally cannot procrastinate, something has to be started early. Procrastination tends to get to me because I think in my mind, I believe an assignment is going to take a lot of time, a lot of effort, and a lot of brain power. Which it does, but not to a dramatic extent, and once you are actually focused, the time goes by quickly. But I have used this mindset to my advantage in order to actually get assignments done. I will create a schedule as to when I should have assignments completed and because of this belief that they will take a long time, I actually get ahead of my schedule.
Planning events actually helps me get ahead of my schedule as well because of this mindset. This is what started pushing me into starting assignments early, because I knew I had something fun I was going to do later once this was all done. Because of this I have pushed myself further into starting work when they are assigned, and completing them shortly after. To get a good start, I like to write all my thoughts down on paper, without editing as I go. Even if something doesn’t sound right or I go over the word limit. Then when I am done, I will revise. This process doesn’t allow me to get stuck halfway through my paper and thus I complete my assignments more efficiently, giving me the time to do things outside of school.
Now it is also extremely important to take breaks. I’ll admit, its quite hard to stop when my mind is racing around the assignment, focused on what I should do or write. But breaks are important, for one, if I am up really late I ruin the quality of your mind for the next day, and two, I don’t believe I am completing my task at my highest potential when I do all of it at once for hours. I remember spending all day studying for an exam last year and feeling so stressed and depressed. I was more stressed about being trapped in my room than I was about actually doing the exam. Taking breaks gives me time to actually experience time outside and actually enjoy the season.
I truly believe school and work should not make your life depressing. You should be able to enjoy yourself while being a hard worker. Even if it seems almost impossible with all the work thrown at you in the most fun times of the year. Just don’t fall into the evil trap that is procrastination, and actually give yourself time to complete tasks and live life, even if that means planning things to force yourself to get er done.
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