Dos and don’ts of the homestretch

Most students have their eyes on the prize with Thanksgiving just days away. Going home is a good feeling. You get your bed back and clothes washed, you get home-cooked meals instead of Easy Mac and you don’t have to wear sandals in the shower. Sounds like a win-win to me.

But veteran students know not to prematurely celebrate Thanksgiving Break. No, with winter break approaching, there’s a bigger prize in sight. Just three weeks after Thanksgiving is a nearly month-long hiatus from responsibility. Students will be rewarded with a literally un-real lifestyle. But we must earn this break.

The three-week span between Thanksgiving and winter break can define or destroy the semester for students. Freshmen will be tested. I-Core students will become zombies. And the demand of Adderall and coffee will exponentially increase. Stressed students will temporarily call Herman B Wells Library home.

We will make beds out of desks and convince ourselves that it’s fine to eat Chick-fil-A or Pizza Hut twice a day. Will you make it through your finals? I hope so. But these dos and don’ts of the finals homestretch should help.

Do: Download “SelfControl”. Just Google it and click on the first link. SelfControl will ask for a list of websites that you’d like to temporarily block. For example, Facebook, ESPN, Twitter and Gmail rarely help me with studying. So, I can block them for any period of time. SelfControl will allow certain websites, such as OnCourse and Webworks. This app is a must for students who often find themselves surfing the web.

Don’t: Procrastinate and read all the graffiti in the library. The graffiti is basically the same, so I’ll give you a quick summary: There’s a lot of arguing and name-calling between Greeks and “GDIs”. There are a lot of gay people who love, you know. And there are a lot of phone numbers you can call to have a good time. Nice. Good read. Now get back to your study grind.

Do: Drive to the library as early as you can. Parking is limited, and I will fight you if you try to take my spot. I’ve spent upward of 20, 30 minutes waiting for a parking spot. Just make sure you add in some parking time into your study schedule.

Don’t: Leave your computer charger at home. Or your textbooks. Or your notebooks. One of the worst feelings is to sit down and realize you aren’t prepared. And you don’t want to be the person who bums a computer charger from a stranger. Trust me. That’s just weird.

Do: Find a good study spot. One of the most important parts of studying is getting into your zone. So find that zone, wherever it may be. If you like studying where it’s quiet, check out the third floor of the library or reading reference roof. If you like studying with people, check out the fourth floor. If you like to study in eerily quiet places, check out the Stacks or men’s bathroom. Find a spot and make it yours. Dominate.

Lastly, do all the things your mom or high school counselors preached. Get enough sleep. Don’t stress too much. Get enough exercise (take the steps instead of the elevator?). And eat right (put pickles on that Chick-fil-a sandwich).

­— awcohn@indiana.edu