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Cure your senioritis

It’s getting to be that time in the semester where temperatures start to rise as motivation falls at an alarming rate. Many of us are familiar with the term “senioritis” and know how hard it can be; one doesn’t need to be at the end of their college career to know the de-motivational effects. In order to combat this pesky problem, here are a few ways to help raise that end of the semester motivation.

1. Give yourself incentives
As humans, we love getting rewarded for doing anything; that’s why we got trophies in Little League for participating. Giving yourself incentives while you’re working on a paper or a big project can help give you the momentum necessary to keep going. Sure, you want to watch that one show on Netflix or spend too much time looking at funny pictures of cats, but make that your reward for getting through a page or two of your paper. You may find that once you find your groove, you stay in it.

2. Go for a walk
Trying to find motivation may lead to some restlessness, and nothing alleviates this better than going for a walk. This can actually help to keep your brain engaged rather than being numbed by sitting and doing nothing. Nicer weather can lead to an even better walking experience, especially with the great spots to head over to around campus—Laura Bradley Park is always a favorite, and there’s also the tricentennial tree (yes, this tree is older than America) up on High Street.

3. Make an instrumental playlist
Listening to music can make any awful task way better. When it comes to schoolwork and music, however, this could hinder productivity because it becomes so easy to get caught up in the lyrics. Instead, make yourself a playlist of instrumental tracks, whether it’s movie scores, jazz music or simple “jungle rain” sounds. Video game scores may be your best bet, seeing as they’re supposed to keep you stimulated while keeping your concentration up.

4. Do not procrastinate
This is one suggestion that even I have trouble sticking to. While working on a tight deadline may work for some, doing those big projects at the last possible minute can lead to more stress than it’s all worth. If you have any sort of big projects due in the next few weeks, start chipping away at them little by little each day; you’ll find that the pressure will be much less extreme, giving you more time for yourself at the end.

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