Staying productive towards the end of the semester can seem to be almost impossible. After Spring Break, it feels like a slow walk to the end of May along with all the large projects, those major assignments you put off for months, standardized testing, and finals cramming on top of each other; it is way too easy to lose motivation. All grades levels deal with this slump at the end of the year, but I am here to share with you some tips and tricks I’ve used to keep myself on track.

Buy a Planner

A planner can look different for many people and often they get overlooked as something kids only used when your teacher made you write in it and get it signed by her, but they are honestly very helpful in high school and college. Writing down your assignments for each class and keeping it somewhat organized or color-coded definitely helped me a lot through the final weeks of school. Being able to check it every day keeps what you have to do fresh in your brain, especially over the weekends when we can easily forget smaller assignments.

Take a Break from Social Media

Social media can soak up a lot of our time with endless scrolling, talking to friends, and posting cute photos from the weekend. With everything going on in the world nowadays, and how social media has become the focus of our society, taking a break will probably help you the most of these tips. Section out a portion of your day when you set your phone aside and spend time doing other things, like being outdoors, taking a walk, cleaning your room, reading a book, or even cooking yourself some food. Everyone needs a chance to unwind and give our brains a break so we are able to focus and work hard on school when we need too.

Workout

The brain and the body are connected in many ways. Studies have shown countless times that to increase your brain power, you must exercise your body. People often consider working out as going to the gym or to be a part of an active sport, but working out can come in many different forms. Taking your dog out for a walk, going on a hike with friends, or even walking around your school will increase your brainpower, making you able to perform better on school assignments. Exercise gets your blood moving which allows more blood flow to the brain making you able to think more clearly.

Shrink your work

Trying to work too hard or too much when you really aren’t feeling like it will only discourage you further. Shortening how long you’ll work on something to where it’s a comfortable time frame will give you more of a rewarding feeling after you are done than mindless sitting at your computer staring at your assignments for hours. Plus, once you start working and get the ball rolling, you may end up working for a longer period of time than you originally intended.

Get a change of scenery

As a society, we behave and act differently depending on what environment we’re in. Often getting out of your usual study area will help you get back into the groove and start working again. For example, if you stay at home or in an enclosed area all day, take your studies to the park or an open area or grab your things and study at the library or local coffee shop.  I personally have found going to an area where other people are also working on homework or assignments to be very helpful in staying productive.

Bribe Yourself

When all else fails, try giving yourself a reward after you meet your productivity goals of the day. A reward can be anything, but treating yourself to something you love to eat or drink after doing homework will help you stay motivated. Bribing yourself isn’t my favorite on the list, but it serves as a darn good motivator every once in a while when I’m in a slump, especially when food is involved.

There are many different things people do to stay on task and keep distractions away when working on assignments, so please leave a comment below on tricks you personally have found effective. We students need to help each other out in the stressful final months leading up to the much needed summer break.