Week after week, students have been pushing through the same dreadful schedule: waking up early for morning lectures, completing four hour labs, attending dull recitation sessions, and staying up late to make last minute changes to assignments. Now, after three months of this pattern, the students of Penn State have finally reached their winter break. Although the past week seemed as if it would last forever, the excitement for the impending break encouraged students to continue pushing forward and finally, they have reached their reward.

Now that classes have finally concluded for the next week, it feels tempting to forget about all of the stress of final projects and assessments and just enjoy the short span of freedom ahead. After all, there are still two weeks after break to prepare for finals, right? Well, there are two more weeks of classes, meaning two more weeks of homework, last-minute projects, reflections, essays, and thus two more weeks of late night working sessions. With all this scrambling going on, will you really have enough time to properly study for all of your finals?

Although it may seem discouraging now, setting aside time over the break to work ahead will lead to plenty of long term benefits. Beginning your finals studies earlier will allow you to better conceptualize the information you need, leaving you more prepared for your finals. Similarly, working ahead on upcoming assignments will further ease your workload in the upcoming weeks. So, taking simple steps towards being productive now will lead to lower stress levels throughout the rest of the semester.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you must spend your entire week studying. Make plans to go out and see friends and family, do things you normally can’t- you deserve to enjoy yourself. However, during instances where you find yourself without plans, make the choice to be productive rather than to binge watch The Office on Netflix- or, at least attempt to be productive during your binge.

Before you leave for home, quickly make a list of everything you would like to get done over the break and bring home the supplies you need in order to complete this list. It is important to note that you should keep this list long enough so that it will allow you to make a dent in your work load, but also short enough to be realistic. If you set too high goals for yourself, you may be more likely to give up on any progress throughout the week. When choosing what to get done first, think ahead towards the rest of your plans. Will you be busier at the beginning, or the end? Plan ahead so that you can do your easier assignments during times when you are busier. This will give you more time for harder projects and subjects. Plus, there is less to worry about if you are unable to complete simpler assignments.

Whether you devote days or hours towards your studying efforts, any progress you make will help in the upcoming weeks. Plan ahead, work diligently, and, most importantly, get it done.

“Productivity is NEVER an accident, it’s the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort”

–Paul Meyer