“I have so many deadlines and so little time! How do I get over the Winter blues at university?”
By Ruby Caballero-Roff and Keira McTernan
Winter deadlines are fast approaching for most of us, whether that’s formative or summative assessments, it’s incredibly stressful and let’s face it, the cold, dark weather really doesn’t make it any easier. With the sky becoming pitch black at 5pm this can take a toll on our moods. We wake up and it may be cloudy or bright blue sky, and it feels that within only a handful of hours the day is over before dinner! This shift accompanied by the chill in the air can no doubt make the motivation to open our books or laptops a tiny bit more difficult. Do not think you are alone in feeling like this. I am a planner for sure so I would advise you to write a little to-do list or even a daily schedule of when to study and make sure to be kind to yourself and have plenty of tea breaks. I also find that being in the comfort of my own home can be my worst enemy in terms of managing my workload. If you live close to campus or a coffee shop then this too, from my experience, can be progressive. A change in environment has been a huge help for myself and makes you feel good, going out for a walk and getting a coffee can make you feel productive and overall feel positive for the day.
There’s no hiding the fact that deadlines silently creep up on even the most organised versions of ourselves. It seems that you care deeply for your studies, which is great! Stress can no doubt be paired with caring and hoping to be successful so managing this stress with giving yourself time and kindness can reflect in the quality of your work. Remember that the winter blues are normal and that taking a 10-minute break or having an occasional lay-in may be the best for you to be as productive as possible. You’ve got this!
A change of perspective can sometimes help more than we think and there are so many ways you can look at it, it’s best to steer clear of the good old saying of “oh I don’t really care what grade I get” because yes, yes you do! You wouldn’t be paying so much, studying so much, and struggling so much if you just didn’t care. One bad grade in one essay really won’t alter your universe and devastate your final grade, you will have ample opportunities to improve and aim higher. I have always found that a good trick for getting out of the deadline slump is to make plans for after your deadlines have passed, whether it’s a night out or a wholesome winter wonderland trip, it’s good to have something to look forward to and to reward yourself for getting through it. Because you will get through it.
I have said it before and I will say it again, do not spend all the hours of the day crying into your textbook in the library! It’s not worth it, it really isn’t. It might feel like a productive use of your time because you are surrounded by studious people, but you have to take breaks to allow yourself to process the information you are taking in. Create a revision timetable tailored to your needs and your own schedule, find a place that is better for you to study – it may even be your own bedroom if that works for you, have non-negotiable breaks for eating, drinking, and just having a breather, and most importantly you need to set yourself a time to finish because it’s not healthy to be typing away at 3am when you know you have a 9am lecture the same day – this will stress you out so much more! Just take that deep breath and keep going.
Image Credit: Madeline Sidgwick