Notes From ND
 | Author:
Mikayla Kraft, MT43 News Correspondent
MT43 News School Correspondent |
Mikayla Kraft
MT43 News Correspondent
Finals are over, my break has started, and I have a few more weeks to relax before I start the whole thing again. Now that I have experienced Finals Week, I know the full experience, and I am feeling more confident coming into this Spring Semester, knowing that I can manage my time better, play hard, and study harder.
Reflecting on the start of the semester, I put all of my energy into studying. It made sense considering that I am paying for my college education and want to make the most of it, essentially getting “my money’s worth"; however, I didn’t realize that the nonstop studying only led to burnout and overwhelming worry. I found myself never socializing with my friends, being stressed out about the little time I had to study (even though that was all I was doing), and simply only being able to think about the digestive tract of a ruminant or cellular respiration in a plant cell. I simply could not live with that anymore.
Now, after being through it, I know how to have certain times of my day set aside to socialize or get off campus, spend some time reading or on a screen, and of course, set time to sleep every single day. The schedule would rarely change and I was able to create a habit that led me to feel more secure mentally and even physically.
This ultimately helped me study more efficiently. I made rules:
(1) Never have my phone at my desk
(2) no music unless it is quiet instrumentals and you are practicing information, not retaining it
(3) reward myself once I finish studying.
I never had my phone at my desk because, as everyone knows, devices are very addicting and I could easily spend hours scrolling through Brainrot. Not accessing my phone during these times helped me to become more productive and eliminate the habit of looking at the phone for a study break. I love music too much, and if just about any song comes on, I find it difficult to hold my attention toward my topmost priority. The instrumentals, such as LoFi music, work as the perfect background noise and I find myself understanding my material better. Lastly, I would always reward myself once I finished studying. It could be playing at Big Top Bingo with a friend, filling my water bottle with my favorite electrolyte powder, or maybe a nap. The reward never had to be large, but it always made me feel better about the time I took out of my day to understand the material.
Overall, this semester was amazing and I am so glad that I chose to go to NDSU. I have grown to be far more responsible than I was the summer after my senior year of high school and have gained habits that will stay with me into the next semester. I still barely know anything in comparison to so many other people, but I am so glad to know that I am always learning.
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PhotoCredit: Photo Credit: Mikayla Kraft
Image 1 Caption: "Silly Time" Favorite selfie with my best friends Regan (middle) and Chloe (right)
Photo Credit: Mikayla Kraft
