The tale of the never-ending semester

By: Mia Mills

The good news is that the long-awaited end to the spring semester is in sight; the bad news is that the student struggle is fully present and will continue in the weeks ahead. CSU students were given very few breaks this semester because of COVID-19, leading many students to experience severe burnout. 

Completing assignments day in and day out for months on end can have severely hindering effects. Students across campus are experiencing a lack of motivation and energy. Here are a couple of tips and resources on how to keep the motivation leading up to finals. 

Study early and study often

As one of my high school teachers once said, studying early and often shows to improve test scores. When studying for exams, I suggest reviewing small portions each night. Set a timer, cover what you can within the time, and stop once the time is complete. Using this method will allow you to keep knowledge more efficiently, compared to cramming the night before the exam. 

Pursue personal interests

Students experience burnout when all their time is dedicated to school, work, and other responsibilities. Do something that is fun for you! The Cleveland area is filled with beautiful Metroparks—take a walk and connect yourself with nature. Another suggestion is to see what events Campus Activities Board is hosting. Recently, CAB hosted Extreme Bingo and gave away big-ticket prizes and gift cards. It was fun to connect with CSU students and listen to the throwback jams that the DJ played. 

Use resources

CSU offers plenty of resources for students to use at no extra charge. The Tutoring and Academic Success Center, better known as TASC, offers tutoring, success coaching, and job opportunities for students. The Math Learning Center has been extremely helpful this past year by helping students with their math homework through Zoom. Another resource offered is the Writing Center, where students can send their papers in and receive feedback on how to improve. 

The Michael Schwartz Library also aids students by providing quiet workspaces on campus and the “Ask Your Librarian” feature, in which they can answer questions pertaining to research. The library also offers an online resource called JSTOR, which links students to academic sources for their papers.

The changes this past year have been a challenge to everyone involved. Keep in mind that summer break is near. Stay strong, Vikes!