I didn’t want to call October “hump month,” but this is exactly what it feels like. It’s the middle of the semester, the time in which you have a majority of your work, and the desire to laze around all day has reached a peak. It’s the wall — the point in the semester that takes every bit of effort and determination to beat. As we enter the last few days of this month, here are some ways to overcome its obstacles:
1. Make a schedule
Meticulously pencil in time to complete all work. However, don’t get so meticulous that this turns into a form of procrastination and suddenly making a schedule has taken three hours. I have done this before — trust me, it’s a mistake. Also, the most important aspect of the schedule is keeping to it. Don’t bother to make one if you won’t accomplish what needs to be done during the slot assigned to it. I understand this is a problem for most of us, so harness your willpower.
2. Find a puppy. Hug it.
Nothing induces as much joy as a puppy. They’ve done studies on this: a good five minutes of petting any furry friend will put you in a state of mind more conducive to studying. And with Puppies and Pumpkins coming up, we all have this chance. Just make sure you ask the owner first. I hear they find random people handling their dog disconcerting, to say the least.
3. Exercise
So I never actually do this, but I hear exercise is good for you. It’s a great way to release any pent-up energy that has been building as you sit and study, or just to clear your mind so you’re ready to sit and study even more. Essentially, it’s the healthy equivalent of taking a french fry break so you can eat more ice cream. Come on, I know you guys have done this too.
4. For the love of God, sleep
In a magical world where pigs fly and chickens can cross the road without having their motives questioned, we’d get at least eight hours of sleep a night. However, we do not live in this magical world, so I advise at least five per night. I don’t care how much work you get done at 4:00 a.m., you’ll be useless the next day and that late-night work is probably sloppy anyway. Take it from the girl who just noticed she handed in a last-minute paper with no less than five typos. As an English major, that’s just embarrassing.
5. Have something to look forward to
There is no reason to survive Hump Month if there’s nothing to look forward to — good thing the last day of October is Halloween. Enjoy the build up and use your study breaks to plan some amazing costumes — puns and pop culture references are preferred. Then, when Halloween arrives, make every ounce of blood, sweat and mental breakdown worth it. Watch a scary movie, go to a haunted house, eat a crap load of candy corn and beat out the other costumes with your amazing ingenuity. Notice I said ‘and,’ not ‘or.’ You can, and will, do it all. After this month, you’ve earned it.
Abigail’s column runs biweekly Wednesdays. She can be reached at a.lague@cavalierdaily.com.
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