The thought of waking up everyday during the wee hours of the morning is where many draw the line. School is miserable. Teachers assign hours of homework and the added pressure of college make the seven hour days seem impossible. In these aspects, school will always be miserable. However, the interminable minutes may pass a little faster with these helpful tools.
1. Go to Bed Relaxed
I have continuously practiced the bad habit of napping or watching Netflix immediately after coming home from school, so homework comes later in my nights. By the time I am usually ready to go to bed, I have just started and completed an essay that may or may not be due the next day. The homework stress and procrastination doesn’t stop, and by then, I’ve lost an entire hour of sleep. Taking a bath, reading a book, or just taking time to self reflect before sleeping allows for more relaxed and carefree mornings.
2. Actually Do Your Homework
Wherever there is distaste for school, the words boring, difficult, and - of course - stressful are present. Completing assignments can make school seem slightly more engaging by broadening opportunities and academic interests. Homework is required with the intention to make school less difficult and prepare students further for the more challenging obstacles of the future. Finishing what’s assigned actually makes school easier. Lastly, checking tasks off of the neverending list of assignments can make life more simplistic and less stressful.
3. Join Some Extracurriculars
So much of the school day has absolutely nothing to do with school. At Collegiate, our clubs and activities meet during the day and joining a club creates time to think less about school and more about a personal interest without having an added after school responsibility. Additionally, joining a passionate group may help to find a fun group of accountable friends.
4. Find Supportive Friends
Making true friends will never be an easy task, but having an encouraging group of people with whom to spend seven hours everyday for more than half of the year is essential. Encouraging friends can create more hopeful and optimistic attitudes about the many hard days in the future.
5. Make a List of Exciting Things in the Future
I find that a lot of my hardest days come from my pessimistic thoughts in the moment and in the short term. Having a list and planning things to look forward to are what help me to stay excited and interested in my busy life. Staying focused on an end goal can help make the days seem shorter and more enjoyable.
School will never be as appealing as a day of sleep and complete personal freedom, but the 180 days of academic endeavors don’t always have to be so terrible.