Top 3 Tips on how to use your midsem break wisely

This seemed to be the hottest topic on everyone’s lips for every morning on the 891 this week. The more, the same sentence was repeated – the more like a distant memory, Week 1 became. With just a blink of an eye, suddenly, more than half a semester has passed!

We know that after this break, you will find yourself deep-down with many other assessments. High stress levels seem inevitable but it doesn’t have to be this way.

Here are our tips on how you can use this upcoming mid-sem break wisely so that you can have more time to relax.

1. Clean your room

With spring in full force, there is never a better time now to do some spring-cleaning. Of course, you don’t have to do your whole house but your desk is a good place to start. This is where you work at the most and no doubt, it has become cluttered over the past few weeks. Although you may not feel it, a cluttered desk equates to a cluttered mind according to research conducted by the Princeton Neuroscience Institute. So, start off your break with a fresh mind by physically clearing out your space.

20th Century Fox Television / Via giphy.com

2. Planning is your best friend

Map out the remaining assessments that you have due. How much time do you have left? What do you have to do for it? Will it require a lot of research? Teamwork? Whatever it may be: this is the time to start prioritising and working in good, sizeable chunks. We recommend around 20 minutes at a time. We all have experienced the stress-fuelled mayhem of trying to complete an assessment, the night before. Not only does that clutter our minds but it also means that the stress will cloud you from producing your best work. Use this break to start making those drafts so you can work at a steady pace until the date.

Via gfycat

3. Use Google Calendar

We recommend using Google calendar to schedule your tasks – not only is it free but it serves as an excellent visualisation of what your schedule! It also has some nifty tools like setting notifications where it can remind you of the essay that you have in two weeks etc. Or if you’re old-school, your ARC diary is always a good tool. By doing this, it will keep you more organised and in control (and leave some room for fun and relaxation without the guilt!)

Via Giphy

Studying is important but remember: your mind matters too. So don’t overwork yourself and remember to give yourself a break (after all, it’s called a midsem break for a reason!).

• J.T.