Sports editor Jaralynn Tammi Morellano says its hard to keep your head in the game all semester.
As students come back from their winter breaks, some find it hard to get back into the groove of things. Whether it’s struggling to keep up with your New Year’s resolution while juggling classes, or being sad that you had to leave your home too soon, they can all agree that each semester is the same animal, yet a different beast. For first-years still trying to figure things out, or upperclassmen looking to improve their work-life balance, here is some advice from some TU students.
Augustin Au is a second-year Biochemistry major with a minor in Bioinformatics. In addition to his heavy academic load, he conducts research in the Mika Lab at the University of Tulsa and is an avid runner. When asked about how he treats the dreadful second semester, he stated that he treats it like any other day.
“It’s the same day, no matter the semester. I wake up, I eat breakfast, I go to class, I go to the gym, I go back home, and I eat dinner and sleep,” said Augustin.
His trick to keeping his cool under the umbrella of new work and obligations is to take it slow and steady, day by day. He takes comfort in knowing that he can predict several parts of his next day, and takes unexpected events as fun surprises.
Students can take a lot from Augustin’s words, but some may be looking for tips to keep their flow and stay in action until the blissful summer break is truly here. To help shed some light on ways to stay focused, Suhani Sharma shared some of her practices.
Suhani is in the second semester of her third year. She majors in Biological Science on the pre-medical track with minors in Chemistry and Psychology. Outside of classes she serves the university as a Residential Assistant of Lottie Jane Mabee and a tutor for Chem Assist. When that academic sundae is topped off with her undergraduate research, she takes every possible strategy to stay focused and well-rested.
Suhani has a set schedule for times when she does certain academic work, going as far as to schedule hours of the day that are only dedicated to the MCAT and other hours only dedicated to Physics II. “Having predetermined times for important work is a great way for me to make sure that I get the necessary work done for the bigger commitments in my life,” said Suhani.
She also tries her best to never do work past 8 p.m. to make sure she always has time to wind down after a long day. “The two hours I have between work and bedtime are the rest hours that I take to decompress so I can lessen my worries,” says Suhani.
She is also no stranger to distractions and finds herself often on her phone to watch Netflix or scroll through Instagram. “As someone who gets distracted easily, I highly recommend those apps that lock you out of your social media after certain periods of time,” says Suhani. “It has honestly really helped me decrease my screen time.”
Every student’s journey through the Spring semester is unique, but with insights from Augustin and Suhani, it can hopefully be a little easier. Effort and attitude go a long way, but the true key is to find a strategy that works for you to keep yourself motivated. Summer is coming any time, and with some patience, it will be here before you know it!