Important things to remember for the next two weeks...

I know, I know. It’s that time a year again and everyone’s talking about it. By now, you probably feel like:

If you haven’t been stuck under an avalanche of work for the last couple weeks, you’ve probably noticed by now we have about two weeks left of school. No doubt you’ve made 25 To Do lists, restarted 24 of them, and still feel you don’t have enough time to do any work, even if you’ve been working for hours at a time. Stress, am I right? Well, if you’ve got the crunch week blues, keep in mind some things to do that will keep you sane.

Eat something

• I’m going to be the first to cop to this. You’ve been working on things since 8 a.m. and the last time you looked at your clock was around...2ish? It’s now 6 p.m. and the only thing you can vaguely remember is showering and APA style. If the last time you remember eating is 9 a.m. last Wednesday, it’s probably time to eat again. I know you’re probably looking at the screen with indignant rage screaming, “Food? I have no time for this food! It’s getting close to finals week!” Just having snacks on hand is a good way to stave off the munchies, as well as starving to death while you’re writing that 67 page final exam paper (I’m looking at you, English majors). It also keeps you energized and full so you’re ready to keep going through the rest of the week.

Music therapy

• When I know I’ll be studying (for waay too long), I like to have some kind of ambient noise. People chattering in the library or laughing out loud does more to annoy me than get me to concentrate. What I like to do is listen to some kind of music while I work. It really gets those academic juices flowing. I also listen to music when I’m taking a break from all of that. It’s a good way to deflate for a bit before hitting it hard again. 

Napping

• Possibly the best thing ever to happen to human kind was the nap. And you know... medicine and all that... Anyway, taking a good nap is a way to recharge yourself in between papers or just when you're feeling brain dead. You can nap just about anywhere: your bed, a couch, the floor, a roof... Just make sure you're able to get back on track with the whole studying thing soon after. Setting an alarm would be a good idea. As tempting as it is to go right back to sleep, the bind it would put you in isn't worth it.

 Natural Energy

• I know we all love our energy drinks. These sugary sweet, carbonated cans of life are sometimes the only things standing between us and utter failure, but they're probably not the best thing for you in mass quantities. 80 ounces of caffeine, guarana, sugar, and 15-syllable chemical compounds shouldn't be the sole item in your diet. That, and the last thing you need is to hulk out like this:
                                 
  And then do this:
  
                                 
  If you need energy, try pistachios, peanut butter, tea, granola bars, or fruit. These foods are good and good for you and you won't gain 50 pounds eating them.

Hopefully, using some of these tips will help you out over these next couple weeks. Remember, a little food never hurt anyone, let some music in, a nap is your best friend, and natural energy is the way to go. Until next time...