It’s the start of semester back from break and while some people get excited about being back that’s not all of us. Yet for some of us it brings the dreaded getting back into the mindset of a student due to the amount and responsibility of coursework we have it’s far too easy to fall into the trap of becoming overwhelmed and stressed beyond belief and dropping responsibilities left and right. This is known by many names for example the “semester slump and mid semester blues” to name a few. It’s not that we don’t care, it’s that we have made sanity and health top priority instead of overexertion leading to a burnout that could be detrimental and derail the progress we made already in our studies.

This dip in momentum and enthusiasm effects all of us at some point in time and it’s important to remember we aren’t alone in experiencing this and that there are ways to get over this hurdle and become re-energized and ready to finish out the year with a renewed passion. If you don’t master a habit and keep it in a timely manner let’s say for 21 days that’s okay it’s expected to take longer than that anyway. Don’t judge yourself for not mastering behavior within such a short time frame. Did you know making mistakes once or twice etc. doesn’t impact your long-term habits?  We all should be learning from our mistakes and get back on track not beat ourselves up over it. We should embrace longer timelines and realize habits are a process not an event. Whether it takes 50 days or 500 days, you have to put in the work either way.

We can all “beat the blues” and come out better on the other side with only minor bumps and bruises. It’s okay to want to give up and just take a nap to the end of time and it’s also perfectly normal to reward oneself with sweets after completing assignments because it always nice to celebrate the little things in life. Don’t be afraid to have a good lengthy cry and release of emotion due to stress. However, this is the very important part resume progress back on your work. It’s okay to work your way back up to increasing your workload and working at your previous speed and focus. However, it should be noted we are human beings we are not machines try as we might to become one with them with our technologies and our hoverboards etc.

I mean even machines at some point or another take a break and need to be revitalized. I talked to members of the Millikin University student body and although no one truly has all the answers here are some survival tactics to avoid that semester slump. These tips might even soften the blow if you’re already experiencing the semester dumps. Firstly find a routine that fits for your lifestyle and personality. It could be reminding yourself to keep a planner and or record assignments in your phone when you plan on doing them. This routine could also include breaking up studying into small increments of 15 or 20 minutes at a time so you don’t lose valuable information. Another way to stick to a routine is to utilize a partner/ friend to hold you accountable in case you often forget you even created a routine in the first place.

Next you could create a sleep schedule so you don’t wind up missing class due to lack of sleep and winding up with unexcused absences to answer to. That might seem impossible if you think sleep and college life don’t intersect but it’s important to receive some amount of sleep so that your body can repair itself and get ready for the next day and the day after that etc. If you already have a sleep schedule or want to update one it takes some time to do so and doesn’t just change overnight. The most effective tactic is to make small changes over time. If you’re trying to go to sleep at 10:00pm, rather than midnight, try this: “For the first three or four nights, go to bed at 11:45pm, and then go to bed at 11:30pm for the next few days. Keep adjusting your sleep schedule like this. By working in 15-minute increments, your body will have a much easier time adjusting.” Creating lists is also a helpful survival tactic and some people can attest to there is nothing like crossing off/ erasing items off a lists once they have been completed.

Waking up and feeling refreshed due to the sufficient amount of sleep not only puts you in a positive mood to start the day you also get a jumpstart on making sure you have what you need for your classes and or work etc. For example, maybe you “wake up at least an hour and half before your classes start to pack your backpack and enough time to get cute if you want to and eat breakfast and or grab a coffee.” Perhaps you should implore “i-Cal” as you’re best friend or someone sort of android equivalent and always make sure to double check sometimes triple check the times and places of your classes. We all have seen or sometimes even been that wayward student walking into the wrong class and or building. Listening to music everywhere you go is a great way to calm your nerves and putting on smile and faking it until you make it is as good tip as any.

If you are worried you might start a new habit than immediately forget about it like it’s a new year’s resolution, don’t worry keep at it when you remember about it. In a study conducted with 96 people over a 12 week period “on average it takes more than two months before a new behavior becomes automatic 66 days to be exact and how long it takes to form can vary widely depending on the behavior, the person and the circumstances.” In the study it took anywhere from 28 days to 254 days for participants to form a new habit meaning there is NO set day to form and keep a habit. Uniquely, the researchers also found that “missing one opportunity to perform the behavior did not materially affect the habit formation process.” In other words, it doesn’t matter if you mess up every now and then as long as you keep trucking. Building better habits is not an all-or-nothing process. At the end of the day or whenever you feel like you’re overwhelmed and too stressed out on the verge of breaking down have some ice cream or any sweet/ favorite treat take time to organize your life and get back on that rollercoaster called life when you’re ready to say bye-bye to those semester dumps.