Tyler

This time of year at Iowa is… well, frankly, it is the worst. The light at the end of the tunnel is slowly getting closer, yet, there is no celebrating until the light is shining right in your face. The shock of winter smacks you as you open the door. The frightening temperatures calls for endless amounts of hot chocolate, cozy sweaters, and a movie marathon. Sidewalks can be slick with remnants of the first snowfall. Professors are wrapping up their courses, which means finals, papers, and projects are piling up. With the end of the semester so close, here are five tips on how to stay focused and successfully survive finals week.

1. Stock up on coffee. The caffeine does wonders, but the warmth of a cup of coffee will ease the below zero temperatures. If you absolutely hate coffee, drink tea instead! Tea can have just as much caffeine as coffee without the bitterness. Sipping a warm drink in the winter while studying will keep you more focused and AWAKE! Oh and snacks work too!
2. Study breaks are key. Do you have a lot of late nights of sitting at the library and IMU with your face in a book? Try changing locations. Get up and walk around. A quick handstand at the library or IMU is seriously the best. Maybe it is a dance major thing, but it will get all the blood flowing again and you will have a burst of energy, guaranteed.
3. Keep it in perspective. It is easy to stress out about your workload, but try to take a deep breath. Just think, in one week finals will be over and winter break will be in full force.
4. Go to the REC! Exercising reduces stress and releases endorphins. They offer so many group classes, between yoga, zumba, cycling — there is something for everyone. Sweat the stress out, and you can always treat yourself with a smoothie on your way out!
5. Keep organized. Read your syllabus and then re-read your syllabus. Chances are your questions of final assignments will be answered there. Use your planner. Write down everything you want to accomplish, and then feel the sweet success after your cross it off. Organization also includes your bedroom. Make your bed, put your clothes away, do laundry, wash dishes — you will be surprised how much more productive you will feel in a clean room.

Good luck on finals, and may the odds be ever in your favor!

If you need a serious study break, come see the Graduate/Undergraduate Dance Concert Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. in Space Place Theater!  I am performing in “Hua” choreographed by Jingqiu Guan, but I was able to watch the other dances last night at the first performance. The dancing is phenomenal and the artistry is inspiring. Here are two photographs from our dress rehearsal with me and fellow dancer, Sean Laughead.

This entry was posted on Friday, December 13th, 2013 at 10:32 am and is filed under General, . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.