Surviving Your "Hell Week"

With the holidays getting closer and closer, many students are finding themselves in the home-stretch of their fall semesters. In fact, I myself have just one final exam left before I head home for a much deserved winter break.

For many students, final exam week is a difficult challenge to overcome. Term papers, exams, essays and group projects all due at the same time--and to make matters worse, these last few days usually play a huge part in determining final grades.

No matter what industry you’re in, you probably have to deal with deadline pressure and those occasional weeks where you can’t even seem to find time to breathe. Below are some tips that help me get through these tough times.

1. Order your tasks based on priority. What task has to be completed first? Or, which exam will you have to take first? The projects with the tightest deadlines should be your first priority. It can be difficult, but do your best to “forget” about your other pressures until you turn in or complete the others. If you mentally forget you have three other exams to study for and just focus on studying for the first one, it won’t seem like such a daunting task.
   

2. Procrastinate...a little. Procrastination can be very powerful, and can either make or break your chances of success. Although it is never a good idea to completely blow off studying to play Guitar Hero all night long, some distraction can be helpful. Reward yourself for every half hour or hour of studying/work with something you enjoy. For example, after an hour of studying, go grab an ice cream, do a little Internet surfing or watch some TV. Procrastination in moderation can help get your mind off of things for awhile, enough to let you feel refreshed and refocused once you get back to what you’re supposed to be doing.
   

3. Overestimate the importance and difficulty of things. I have found that doing this with projects and assignments is the best way to successfully complete them. For example, if a teacher assigns a take-home essay, don’t assume that it will be simple and quick to complete. I have actually found stress to be a good motivator that helps me to achieve my fullest potential. Overpreparing for an exam won’t hurt you, but underpreparing for one surely will. Without pushing yourself to a mental breakdown, “stressing out” a little about every project or exam serves as a little motivation. That way when you complete whatever task it was you can look back and say, “Well that wasn’t bad at all.”
   

4. Speculate. Figure out the worst and best case scenarios for your problem or task. For example, before exam week started, I went though all of my classes and figured out my current grade. Using that score, I factored in what my grade would be if I received a 0 percent, 50 percent and 100 percent on each exam. Knowing all I needed was at least a 50 percent on my psychology exam helped relieve some of the stress of studying. I knew I could then put more of an effort into studying for my male-female communication exam, which I need at least a 90 percent on to get the grade I desire.
   

5. There is no supplement for sleep. Sure caffeine and other products may have effects that make sleep seem unnecessary. And perhaps sometimes you may run into situations where you absolutely do not have time to sleep because of an impending deadline. However, when you are faced with the choice to continue cramming or get a few hours of rest, choose the sleep. Studying on low-energy is less rewarding than letting your body and mind relax and recharge. Once you’re at least a little rested, you’ll be more likely to be able to concentrate and recall information easily.
   

What about you? Students, what are your tricks that help you study and succeed? Professionals, what tips have you followed in order to avoid being overwhelmed by the stresses of your career?

The Success Secrets They Don't Tell You in Textbooks

I’ve heard rumors about the “old Polish wisdom” to look forward to on the last day of JRN 450 with Jim Wojcik, and today I got to hear exactly what everyone was talking about. Without spilling too many of Wojcik’s secrets, I’ve listed a few key points from this afternoon’s lecture mixed in with some of my own thoughts.

1. For budding PR professionals, don’t let your cell phone ruin your reputation. Get rid of your “I Kissed a Girl” ringback tone and make sure your voicemail message is both personal and professional. Inappropriate ringtones are also a killer when they go off during meetings or in the presence of coworkers, they are only appropriate in the right contexts. Also, don’t use an automated voicemail response that only gives your number. You want callers to know they are reaching the right person.
   

2. On a similar note, learn how to leave a good voicemail message. This includes remembering to clearly identify yourself, the purpose of your call and your phone number. When leaving your number, either speak slowly or say it more than once.
   

3. When using company resources, only write emails or text messages that you would be willing to disclose to the public. If you need any confirmation of the damage that can be caused by using company property for personal use, please Google “Kwame Kilpatrick” AND “text messages”.
   

4. Say you graduate and are fortunate enough to land a job paying $30,000 a year. Understand that you will never see that much money. After paying taxes, housing payments, transportation costs, bills, food and other unexpected expenses, you’ll be surprised at just how fast money can go. In most cases, take the lower salary option that includes health care benefits rather than opt for a higher salary with no benefits. As much as we like to think we are health gurus and that nothing bad will ever happen to us--it will. You don’t want to be stuck paying off a $25,000 medical bill because you chose a salary that payed $5,000 more per year.
   

In closing, I’d like to leave you with a great quote from the Polish PR master himself. “Never burn any bridges. You never know when you will need to cross over them again.”