Tips

101 Things To Do On Study Breaks

Photo thanks to WeHeartIt
Please tell me I’m not the only one chained to my desk these days! I’m in the middle of my final exams, it’s freezing cold outside, and I am feeling equal parts frazzled and exhausted. But I’ve still been taking time to schedule in as much fun as I can make time for. I’ve compiled a list of things you can do for fun on your study breaks, most of which can be accomplished at your desk in the library, or without having to go on a time-consuming outing. I know we students don’t have time for much besides studying these days! So just pick a few of the activities below, and maintain your sanity for just a few more days. Enjoy your study breaks to the fullest. Happy studying!
  1. Start a blog
  2. Start a tumblr
  3. Join 750words.com
  4. Bake cookies
  5. Make dinner
  6. Call your Mom
  7. Skype with friends
  8. Get Starbucks
  9. Go for a run
  10. Read the headlines
  11. Do a crossword
  12. Have a dance party
  13. Do yoga
  14. Put all your favourite blogs into a blog reader
  15. Catch up on your favourite blogs
  16. Clean & organize your workspace
  17. Clean your room
  18. Record a video or podcast
  19. Write an article or short story
  20. Sketch a picture of yourself studying
  21. Get a massage
  22. Paint your nails
  23. Make origami swans
  24. Meditate
  25. Write someone a letter
  26. Brainstorm your next year’s New Years Resolutions
  27. Journal
  28. Work on your Life List
  29. Create an issuu magazine
  30. Start a scrapbook
  31. Look through old pictures
  32. Watch one episode of a funny tv show
  33. Sing along to musical theatre show tunes
  34. Play an instrument
  35. Make a list of things you’d do in your city if you had time
  36. Deactivate your Facebook account
  37. Start a Pinterest account
  38. Pay your bills
  39. Watch a TED talk
  40. Watch movie trailers
  41. Look at the Spring RTW shows
  42. Troll FoodGawker
  43. Build a snow man
  44. Decorate your place for Festivus
  45. Write a to-do list
  46. Play brain games on Lumosity
  47. Start a massage train with your friends
  48. Listen to really old pop music
  49. StumbleUpon
  50. Get lunch/brunch/dinner with friends
  51. Do the dishes
  52. Walk around the block
  53. Read a chapter of a book
  54. Make paper snowflakes
  55. Moisturize
  56. Take a bubble bath
  57. Take a nap
  58. Make a cup of tea or hot chocolate with little marshmallows
  59. Clean out your bag and wallet
  60. Give a loan on Kiva
  61. Play FreeRice
  62. Apply for something: volunteer position, internship, job
  63. Play hangman or tic-tac-toe with someone
  64. Watch videos of puppies or kitties playing
  65. Read Jezebel
  66. Read TextsFromBennett
  67. Give yourself a pep talk
  68. Switch up your study spot
  69. Do jumping jacks
  70. Do your laundry
  71. Start using Evernote
  72. Make a list of things you want to do around Christmastime
  73. Write a song
  74. Go out for a drink
  75. Eat a few seasonal clementines
  76. Learn about common misconceptions
  77. Go to the gym
  78. Buy + eat a chocolate bar
  79. Clean out the fridge
  80. Have a shower
  81. Have a snack
  82. Read a magazine
  83. Listen to lots of holiday-themed music
  84. Plan your dream vacation
  85. Plan a holiday party
  86. Do some online shopping
  87. Create a countdown until your exams are over
  88. Do a workout video in your living room
  89. Go grocery shopping
  90. Start a Facebook/BBM/text conversation with your best friends to share news and pictures
  91. Discover some new music
  92. Browse the local book store
  93. Learn a new skill online
  94. Play agoogleaday
  95. Dress up and get outside
  96. Catch up with a friend over coffee
  97. Pray
  98. Get take-out
  99. Daydream about having free time again
  100. Create a plan for studying
  101. SMILE
Stay sane, stay happy.
All my love in this hard time!
What do you do on your study breaks? What are exams like for you? Do you need motivation, or do you need to slow down? What are your favourite activities? 

How To Survive Exam Season, Part 3

Here’s part 1 and part 2!

Photo thanks to WeHeartIt

It’s that time of year again folks: the blasted exam crunch time. Previously, I’ve written about how to stay physically healthy and how to find the study system that works for you. This year’s edition is more focused on mental health and stress-reduction strategies. Intrigued? Read on!

I find that this time of year requires a lot of discipline, focus, and motivation. Those things aren’t always easy to find, especially not when you also feel frazzled, stressed, and probably lonely. But finding time for fun activities can be so insanely hard, especially when you always have this looming dark cloud hanging over you, telling you “YOU SHOULD BE STUDYING RIGHT NOW”. How oppressive! I’m sure a lot of you are nodding in agreement – there’s always this sense of obligation or duty to be studying, and even taking an hour to catch up with someone at Starbucks feels very wrong.

The more we’re isolated, the more awful we feel; but the more we take time off from studying, the guiltier we feel. Stress central! Here are some of the strategies I’ve been exploring to stay sane this exam season.

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Butter Tart Squares

Stress baking.

A term that unfortunately I am all too familiar with.

For some bizarre reason, whenever I feel:

a) Out of it; b) Stressed; c) Like there aren’t enough hours in the day; d) All of the above

I get an urge to escape those awful feelings and bake something, preferably something that doesn’t take up too much time, is delicious, and can be shared with friends should I ever have enough time for a social life. It’s a fairly counter-intuitive process, since baking something usually takes up time and energy, but it happens anyway. Stress baking isn’t logical, y’all!

The past couple days, I’ve been really nervous for my midterm exam (tomorrow) in my Cognition class. There’s a ton of information to learn, including 11 extremely detailed coronal sections of the human brain, and yes, I am expected to learn every single structure. Is it bad to admit that I’ve only memorized 7 so far?

Plus I have NaNo, plus I have exercise class tonight, plus I’m not sure what I’m going to make for dinner. Probably perogies. I was also a bit peeved/irritable because I did a work-out video yesterday, hoping it would pump me with some endorphins and give me a little energy boost. NO SUCH LUCK. Instead I felt even more exhausted and irritable. Boo!

So this morning, when I woke up, I decided to make butter tart squares. That just sounds like all kinds of goodness, doesn’t it? They’re extremely easy, require very few ingredients, and are probably the most delicious thing you’ll eat all week. Let me show you how to make them.

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Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Things I dislike: plug-ins that screw up my website, having to get my wisdom teeth out, waking up tired, mushy bananas. Yuck yuck and double yuck.

Things I like: dancing around to this video, late-night walks around the sparkling city, getting inspiration for my NaNo novel, repurposing mushy bananas into something magical.

This is Real Life people, and it’s happening all the time. No more nestling up in the high school cocoon of comfort. It’s the time for strangers telling you they’re going to cut your teeth in half, long walks during which you talk about your feelings, and phone calls from your Mom instead of hugs. It’s also the time for watching too much tv and eating as many sea-salt sprinkled chocolate chip cookies as you want, so I guess it’s okay. (Don’t worry Mom, I didn’t eat that many.)

You know what else Real Life means? It means you should learn to make banana bread. Why? I don’t know. It seems like a grown-up skill. It seems like you’re saying “Look at me! I can use ingredients up! I am not wasteful. I am resourceful.” Also banana bread is delicious, so you might just want to put it in your mouth. Who am I to question your motives?

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Peanut Butter Banana BreadRead More »

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