Five ways to cope with post-spring break reality


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With barely five weeks left of class, it’s safe to say that the most difficult time of the year is upon us. The Trojans have just returned from spring break, and regardless of where they went or how they spent their time, they must now face the reality of the remainder of second semester. USC students must push fond memories of the Cabo sun or their mom’s cooking to the back of their minds, and manage to fight their way through midterms — and finals — in spite of their desire to hit the beach or work on their tans instead. Here are a few tips for making the last weeks of the school year as painless as possible

1. First and foremost: don’t give up! You have made it this far in the semester, you might as well hold on until the very end. It’s easy to give in to the temptation to skip class in favor of something a little more fun (and decidedly less productive). But don’t give in! Merely being present in class — both physically and mentally — is half the battle in keeping your GPA right where it should be. (And no, online shopping for a new bathing suit during lecture does not count as attentively attending class).

2. Stay organized. Much like the way it seems really appealing to skip class, the end of the year may tempt you to become lazy with your organization. Keeping class notes and digital documents in clearly labelled notebooks and folders will make your life substantially easier when finals roll around. It’s certainly a better alternative to having random loose-leaf papers scrunched into the bottom of your backpack, or being unable to see your computer desktop background because you have so many documents.

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3. Let yourself take breaks. Chances are that most students are already feeling pretty burnt out by this time of year. Staying focused on the end goal of a good GPA for second semester can seem daunting, especially with midterms and finals looming. It’s important that you let yourself take breaks to go enjoy the nice weather and hang out with your friends, all in the name of breaking up your study time. (Just make sure you keep a good ratio between study time and break time).

4. Get excited for the summer. One of the best ways to make it through the grind of schoolwork is to look forward to something which, at this point, is probably summer. Are you traveling? Did you land a killer internship? Get excited and consider it your motivation to power through the home stretch of the school year.

5. Relax and Reflect. Try not to worry; summer will be here before you know it. Be proud of yourself for almost finishing another (or your first) year of college. Now just keep fighting on all the way until May.