It is official. I am a college senior. Finished my last final today and am so happy to be done! This year has been a crazy one. I took a wide range of classes, from history to statistics, from finance and economics to accounting to German. I have been able to learn more of what I enjoy, what I excel in, and what I can accomplish when I really want to. I definitely took some very challenging classes and some classes that pushed me to my limits. This year was very difficult for me, I had to learn a few things about myself to survive. People often ask how I manage to work as much as I do, take a full course load, and volunteer and stay involved. Here are some things I have learned, maybe these will be useful to others.
1. Sundays are off limits. As it said in the Bible, Sunday is a day of rest. I found that by letting Sunday be a day to relax and rejuvenate, I was much more ready to go for the week ahead. Therefore, no homework, no work (outside of required shifts at Shopko). I spend my time at church, with family, reading wholesome books, listening to wholesome music, blogging, and just relaxing.
2. Bedtime. Don't laugh. Bedtimes are good. I used to go to bed whenever, I had no real schedule. I found, though, that by giving myself a bedtime, I was much more disciplined. Midnight I am crawling into bed-earlier if I have to get up really early (aka 5am or 7am shifts).
3. Early to Bed, Early to Rise. I am out of bed absolutely no later than 9am, 7 days a week. Usually around 8am. This was hard at first, I only had class this semester 2 days a week, and my first class didn't start until 10:30. A year ago, I would have gotten up at 9:40. I found that this am time was much more productive for doing homework than 1 or 2 in the morning is anyway. I am much more awake and able to concentrate. I usually was never as productive when I woke up at 10 or 11, by then it seems like the day is shot.
4. No Nap Time: As much as I love to sleep all the time, I never get anything done if I let myself nap. Unless I literally did not sleep the night before (which thanks to rules 2 and 3, very rarely happens now), I don't nap.
Sidenote: Sleep seems to be the overriding theme here, doesn't it? Interesting......
5. Prioritize: Unfortunately, the party that I want to go to or the movie that everyone else is watching are not nearly as important as the pile of homework and other work to get done on my desk. The extra shift at work is usually not too vital either. I have learned that I really have to put school first. Now, I do still have fun. I love to go out and do stuff, but only when I am caught up on my obligations. I also have learned of how important Home Evening and Ward Prayer are. Little things, but when I have those little times, it helps satisfy m social, emotional, and spiritual needs.
There you are. That is how I do it. Simple? Yes. Easy? Yes. Doable by all students? Yes.
I am so so so happy to be done with spring semester. I am having trouble tonight unwinding and allowing myself to relax. Not sure why bother though, summer semester starts in a week and a half. 15 credit summer, here I come.
It feels good to say that I am senior. It has been a lot of hard work to get here. Three more semesters (including this summer) until I am out of here.
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