The window between late October and Thanksgiving is now upon us, and although midterms are nearly over, students remain prone to burnout. This past month, students rarely had a full week of classes due to various holidays, but from here on until Thanksgiving, students do not have any extra days off from their classes. This period of time is one where students often start to feel burnt out, whether it’s due to a second wave of midterms, multitudes of homework, or just simply not having any time to themselves. This board would like to offer advice to students on how to stay sane and take care of themselves until our next break. 

Your sleep is very important, and you will not function well without it. Try to avoid pulling all nighters to get your homework done the night before and focus on evenly distributing your work. If you’re well-rested, it will be much easier to focus. For those who are planners, it can be a good strategy to map out when you will get work done when so you have an idea of how much work you should do each day. You do not need to stick to the plan exactly, but keep in mind that working on something over time will require  less  energy than putting an assignment together the night before it is due. 

When the increase in homework feels exponential and there is no end in sight, it can be difficult for students to make sure they live a life outside of their academics. Although it is important to put effort into your work, try to take some time off every now and then to socialize. Take advantage of your Friday and Saturday nights; work during the day and give yourself a break in the evening. 

Whether you’re going out with friends or staying in, avoid locking yourself in your dorm and not speaking to anyone until that paper is finished.

 And if you have to force yourself to partake in some intensive study sessions, make sure that you are nourished and well rested. 

What is most important during this time is that you take care of yourself. Academics are important, but they are not everything, and your mental health should remain a priority. 

Give yourself breaks when you need them, but avoid falling into cycles of procrastination. 

Look forward to your next break — while it seems ages away, it will be here eventually. Until then, this board wishes students luck in getting through these next few weeks until Thanksgiving break.