Nigel Cares: Make a plan to finish strong

By Simon Cordery

Director of Student Counseling

A man walks into a retirement planner's office and says, "I am 65, I haven't saved a penny toward retirement and I retire next week. This is your chance to become a legend!"

Does this sound like your strategy for final exams?

The reality is that the majority of the semester is behind you and most students have an idea what their outcome for the semester will generally be. However, that doesn't mean that all hope is lost and you should cruise across the finish line with minimal effort.

In fact, it is more important than ever that you find a way to have a strong finish to get the best possible outcome.

We are all familiar with the video clip of the bicycle racer who sees the finish line approaching and stops peddling, thinking he has won and can coast across the finish line, only to be passed by another racer peddling furiously for the win. I want you to be like the bicyclist who didn't stop peddling and pulled out a win at the last second. Don't give up!

Take a moment and think about what outcome you would like for this semester.

Now make a list of what you need to do to achieve that goal.

Now think about how many days there are left in the semester.

Seeing it all written out and how few days are left can feel really overwhelming, but trust me and just keep breathing.

How do you eat an elephant? The answer is one bite at a time. That's how you are going to get to your goal. Lots of little bites. Take your to-do list and chunk it in to smaller bites that you can accomplish. Stop thinking about the big picture. Do each step one at a time and when you finish think, "What do I need to do next?" And just do that next thing. Most of the time the next thing is to read a chapter or write a paper, or figure out that equation. However, sometimes the next thing is to get something to eat, take a shower, visit Student Counseling's De-stress Fest or just get a good night's sleep.

I know you are tired and you are wondering if you can do it. You can! It's kind of like running a marathon. You are at about mile 18 and it's difficult to keep going, it's not very fun to keep running, and it might even be painful. Some people quit at this point, but this is where marathon runners start to see themselves finishing the race and their energy returns and they smile as they cross the finish line. You can do the same. Imagining yourself at the end (enjoying your break) can be just enough motivation to help you finish strong!

One definition of maturity is delaying instant gratification for the greater payoff in the long run.