Fresher’s week and September came and went faster than any of us could imagine, and here we are already at reading week! That means we’re halfway through the semester and if you’re one of the lucky ones not yet overwhelmed by many many deadlines, don’t worry, they’ll be coming in soon! And what do you do when that happens? Some might lock themselves in the library including mental breakdowns and nap time, others might procrastinate until a few hours before. Whether youre the former or latter, here’s my 4 advice on how to get through those stressfull deadline days:

1. Remember To Take Breaks. Yes, thats’ right, I said it. Whether your deadline is just a few hours or days away its not healthy to push yourself into hours and hours of studying, your brain needs the break. In. fact, science has proven breaks to help you work better and it gives you something to look forward to. Whether its after 50 minutes of studying, after 500 words of whatever you’d like to reach before break time should happen, make sure to incorporate it into your studying!
2. Stay Focused. Remember whats important and what isn’t. Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp probably isn’t one of them, not in this moment. Turn off your phone or leave it somewhere where you can’t easily get it every 5 minutes. Whether you’re a night owl or a morning person pushing through with the help of a strong cup of coffee, work out what works for you and focus on that –  its your deadline and you who has to do the work!
3. Take Time Off. This mostly goes for the bigger stuff like exams and dissertation, but giving yourself time off, for example a whole days will help you come back refreshed. Furthermore it will give you fresh, new eyes to look at your work and make it easier to proofread!
4. Do Your Best.  Rewrite, proofread and do not give up. I know it sucks having to look over the essay you’ve been staring at for way too long already and the last thing you want to do is read it all over again. But trust me, it will give you the chance to catch the grammar mistakes you’ve missed the first time around. Like this you might end up handing in something you’re proud of. If you’ve done your best, there’s nothing more that can be expected of you and it is time to hand it in, yay!