As I begin to work on this blog, I am starting at a list I have made of things I need to get done for the week. Next to that list is my gold spiral bound planner that has a separate page for each day. On each page I have a separate to-do list for each day. To say I tend to be more Type A than Type B would be an understatement. My life is filled with virtual and paper sticky notes, to-do lists written in red sharpie and constant reminder notifications on my phone.
Studying for a Type A personality can be difficult because we are competitive, impatient, and easily stressed out. We are high achievers and often find ourselves multi-tasking in any and all situations. Relaxation just isn’t in our vocabulary. We are always in competition with the clock. I would call us, ‘goal diggers’ aka constantly setting high goals that are unattainable. When they are reached we set more, even higher goals. We tend to be self-driven, and procrastination is not allowed. To say the least, people with Type A personalities tend to be more stressed out than people with Type B personalities.
Set Priorities
Alright now we might seem a little high strung, but there are ways to help study and keep stress levels low as finals approach. The last thing you need is to be over-stressed during finals. If you haven’t already (believe me I have) pull out your calendar and mark the deadlines and final dates that you have. Doing this allows you to physically write out your due dates.
From there, you can evaluate which classes and projects rank highest and which are lowest. These ‘rankings’ can be based on the due dates and how much time needs to be put into the project. One of the biggest sources of my stress when I was a first-year was having so many things to do and being overwhelmed with stress when trying to tackle them all at once. Instead of letting the stress take over and curling up into a mush ball, I started making lists. Once I have my list of what needs to be done, everything seems more bearable.
Make Lists
If you need more than just a list of what to do, which trust me I understand, I have some help for you. Along with the list, next to each item, give yourself the amount of time it will take you to complete the task. One hour, two? Be generous with yourself. From that, you can add together how much you need to get done tonight or tomorrow and block off the time to study.
Keep Track of Time
Put your social media way and focus on getting the tasks done. If you beat your allotted time, it’s a mini celebration! Lastly, setting timers along with this method can also be helpful and keep you on task.
No matter what happens, try your best not to let stress overcome you. We are prone to stress and worry but we are also passionate about what we do. In the end, it is all going to pay off with the degree. Good luck studying, Type A buddies— now I have one more thing to cross off of my list!
