Saying you worked hard the past semester is an understatement. It’s almost time for summer break, but there are still a few things left to conquer: exams, homework, final projects, assisting in university events, remembering to breathe, and trying to get enough sleep. But, from everyone at Reynolds and Reynolds, we believe in you.

To help you persevere through the spring semester, we created some survival tips:

Remember Next Steps

Your most important step is the next one you take. Break your projects down into timelines, give yourself time for breaks or working on other assignments, and leave some time to hang out with friends. One step at a time may not be a fast pace, but you’ll always be moving forward.

Set Goals

Create goals for yourself. These can be weekly goals or daily goals. The goal could simply be to go grocery shopping and get snacks for the late nights studying, or to get the five projects and two papers that are due next week completed ahead of time. Whatever your goals may be, set them and strive to reach them.

Keep Information Organized

Cumulative exams and large projects will require you to reflect on information you’ve accumulated (and hopefully learned) throughout the semester. Although the piles of papers can be hard to handle, make sure you keep old tests and other critical information in a secure, organized place. You don’t want to have to scramble through mountains of assignments to find the information you need when a due date is approaching.

Plan Backup Meals

Needing to work on projects or meet with professors during lunch is one of the greatest college struggles. You can’t eat because you need to work, but you can’t focus because your stomach won’t settle. To help combat this, have cheap backup meals ready to go. This can range from a peanut butter and jelly, to a granola bar, to a cold lunch meat tortilla wrap that comes prepackaged in stores. If the commons closes while you are busy, you won’t have to worry about being hungry when you complete your assignment.

Utilize Your Resources

College students are in a very unique position where you are surrounded by people who want to teach you, and resources to take learning one step further. Utilize all of the resources you can while you have access to them. If you get stuck, email a professor, a classmate, your librarian, or a tutor. Chances are, you aren’t the only one who found that topic difficult, and there’s someone ready to help you.

Earning a degree is meant to have challenges and obstacles. You are embarking on a journey that will lead you to have a better understanding of your major, but also of yourself. Take things one step a time, and be patient with yourself as you are learning new things every day. Keep control of the semester, and finish strong!