*(Disclaimer: If you are an active Tumblr user then you should just give up now and don’t bother reading this.)

1. Make lists. I cannot emphasis enough the importance of making lists when planning out your schoolwork for upcoming weeks. What I like to do is jot down an overview of the work I have to get done for the week. Then I’ll make sub-lists, noting the tasks I have to get done in each certain day. That always works well for me, because I like the physical action of ticking things off. Getting seven ticks at the end of the day makes me feel like I’m being very productive. Also, doing schoolwork in small, yet highly-focused bursts really takes the stress off overall. (Such original, groundbreaking advice, I know.)

2. If you’re opposed to lists for some reason, or just want to seem really fancy and tech-forward and productive, then I would recommend that you use this brilliant desktop task organization app called “Vitamin-R.” According to their website, “Vitamin-R implements techniques to break up large tasks into series of short time slices, each with a specific and reachable objective. Working in short time slices of around 15 to 30 minutes each, makes it easy to get started and stay focused.” If there was just one time-management app I’d recommend to you, it would be this one! I love using this app when writing essays. For example, I’ll give myself 10 minutes to write the introduction, 15 minutes for the first body paragraph, 5 minutes to edit, etc etc. As far as I’m aware, the app only works for mac. However I’m not 100% sure about this, so just google “Vitamin-R” and see what comes up.

3. I’m no psychiatrist, but I do know that habitual procrastination isn’t a problem in itself, but actually a symptom of a deeper issue. I’ve noticed that people usually tend to procrastinate most when they feel the least motivated about the work they’re doing (yet another groundbreaking observation.) Not that the schoolwork here at the OHS isn’t interesting and intellectually stimulating, but sometimes the sheer amount of work can hang over us and make us feel less excited about a task that we initially thought had the potential to be kinda fun! My advice on how to overcome this would be to allow yourself some time to just relax, be with friends; most importantly, go outside! It’s all fun and games to joke about how the last time we interacted with society was three months ago, but seriously, get some fresh air! Scientific studies have actually shown that interacting with nature really does help lower stress levels.

3 AM SNACKS FOR THE LATE-NIGHT TROOPER*:

(*Disclaimer: we do not endorse such late bedtimes because they have been scientifically linked to stunting development of the human body, but sometimes there may be no choice.)

Depending on how hungry you are on the particular night, you can choose from a variety of things to eat, from light snacks to meals.

Based on personal experiences, here are some that we’ve found work particularly well.

For light snacks, or just something to keep busy while working, any type of fruit works really well. Bite-sized ones, such as berries or grapes, or sliced ones, like melons, are my favorite. If you have an apple or something similar, cut it into slices so that you still have both hands free for working while you eat.

Chips and other crunchy snacks are great too, although you could get your hands messy, so use chopsticks! Yes, it sounds weird, but pour some chips/popcorn/pretzels into a bowl and use chopsticks to pick them up in order to keep your hands clean on the keyboard.

If you are hungrier, try some light appetizers or even a light meal. Sandwiches, spaghetti, spring rolls, and cake are great options. You could even do curry if you had the time to prep it!

Of course, preparation is an issue too when you’re up at 2 in the morning doing work, most likely you won’t have an hour to spare to prepare some food, so microwaveable snacks and meals are perfect. Ovens are a small-maintenance but large-reward alternative to cook things like frozen pizza.

Hope this helps, ever-hungry OHSer!

(Let’s not forget about drinks, though! From water to juice to cola the options here are endless, and pick whatever suits your food.)

Categories: Oracle