At this point in the semester, it can be difficult to stay motivated. With midterm after midterm, I know that my energy has felt drained recently. Here are a few tips that I try to remember to do to stay positive and proactive, even when it’s hard. 

Remember to reward yourself 

Plan things to look forward to! Text your friends and make some fun plans for the weekend. After a long week, you need to recharge your battery! As my coach told me in high school, you need to “fill your love tank” often. Another way to reward yourself is to treat yourself after studying for hours in the library or when you finish a test. My favorite way to reward myself after a midterm or after a long time spent in the library is by stopping at yogurt park on the way home! 

Stay organized 

If you’re at the point where you don’t use your planner anymore or have been messing up your daily routine, get back into it! Organization is so important for staying productive and motivated. Having a routine where you incorporate personal time and study time can help you balance a healthy lifestyle while still leaving room to get work done. 

Prioritize your homework/studying

I used to be in the habit of working on the easiest and most simple tasks first, but I’ve found that when I complete the hardest and more time-consuming tasks first, I feel more motivated to continue working on completing the smaller assignments. This is a great tip for managing your time. 

Create a study group 

Everyone prefers to study in different ways, but sometimes studying with a group of your classmates can be both helpful and fun! Study groups can be useful because you can hold one another accountable and it forces you to get your work done which can be a useful method. A lot of people are too shy to start a study group but would love to be a part of one. Ask around at your next discussion/lab or post on ed about creating a study group!

Overworking yourself is counterproductive

Studying too much can cause you to lose energy and motivation. I’ve found that when I study for hours and days on end, I become overwhelmed and highly stressed. I’m also a lot more drained and tired. 

Important reminder: It’s important that it’s ok to feel burnt out at the end of the year. When you feel this way, remember to take a step back and look at the big picture and remember why you’re here at UC Berkeley. It will all be worth it in a few years or in a few months when you graduate with a degree in hand!