“Spring” “Break” is over, back to the grind!

Spring Break is always an interesting time for most students. This spring break I decided that I was just going to go home and hang out with my family (and my midterms) rather than going on an adventure somewhere. It came at just the right time.

I spent most of spring break working on internship applications for the summer. The break typically falls at just the right time to get those done before deadlines stream in, but its also good to remember that your spring break needs to be just that – a break. Therefore, while I also had a number of midterms waiting for me when I got back to school which I could have been working on this past week I just needed to take a small break, even if I didn’t go on vacation.

One of the most important things that you can learn at College is that sometimes you need to make the time for yourself to relax – maintaining a healthy lifestyle at College can be a tricky ordeal. Here are a few things that I’ve found really helpful during my year and a half at William and Mary:

(1) Vitamin C: Always try and consume at least your daily recommended amount of Vitamin C. Whether this comes from Vitamin water, chugging a big glass of Orange Juice at the dining hall right before you leave or abusing vitamin waters and odwalla juices, personal health starts fundamentally with physical health. We can have some weird weather here in Williamsburg and a lot of times the hot day/cold day changes end up making some people ill. Late nights deteriorate your body’s ability to protect itself from disease so make sure Vitamin C is your best friend!

(2) Wash your hands always

(3) Take a coffee break. Too much coffee can be bad for you but I always find I’m a little bit more inclined to do work when I’ve had at least a small cup, or have one next to me that I can nurse on over a long period of time.

(4) When you go to do work bring only what is necessary: When you have a lot to do remove yourself from distractions. A lot of times it’s helpful to get out of your dorm and go to a quiet corner of the library and work. If you don’t need your laptop sometimes it’s a good idea not to bring it at all if you’ll be tempted to get on the internet and facebook or g-chat (or write a blog like I’m doing right now when I should be working on homework).

(5) Take a break with friends: Arrange to meet them at the Daily Grind or some other place but only for about half-an-hour. Sometimes even though you’re taking a bit of time off work that little bit of a removal from it all can make you extra productive when you return to it.

(6) Keep a constantly updated calendar: Knowing what you need to be doing always is the best way to ensure that you’re planning ahead as much as possible at William and Mary. It can be pretty easy to get behind on things if you don’t keep a good calendar. I suggest Google calendar because it’s free and works great but if you’re a paper and pen person be sure to always carry around your planner with everything in it from lunch dates to midterms written down as soon as you hear about them.

Lastly, try not to stress too much. You’re not the only one procrastinating on assignments. If you have questions, shoot professors quick emails, they’re really great at getting back to you. Try and spread work out instead of cramming it all into one time. The most important thing that you can do is prioritize. Make a list of what is the most imperative you complete first and what you can put off until later. Remember with your wide range of activities that the most important thing should always be school work before clubs – get your midterm done before you write up something for a club!