Reading Week is a precious gift that must not be squandered. Become a master with these five tips!

Reading Week is a blessing, truly. It’s that break in the semester when new assignments don’t come in. You’re able to catch your breath, work ahead, or catch up. That said, the week goes by FAST. You may find yourself doing so much work that you forget to recoup or you’re relaxing so much that you scramble to accomplish something on Sunday night. Neither of those scenarios is ideal. So, how do you make time for both school and leisure? Here are some suggestions for a more balanced Reading Week!

Take the first weekend off

You’ve been busting your hump for the first half of the semester. Take a break! Technically, Reading Week starts on the Monday, so celebrate your hard work by taking the weekend off and spending it however you like. No thoughts of schoolwork or upcoming midterms allowed! 

Plan study dates

Get some work done through social interaction with a study date or work session. If you have a group project, you may want to set up a meeting to plan a course of action and discuss the allocation of tasks. Even if you don’t get a ton of work accomplished, you’ve still made an effort.

Push back your wake-up time

The best part about Reading Week is that you can forgo those early morning wake-up times. Yay! Allow yourself to wake up later than usual and have a slower start to the day. This doesn’t mean waking up at noon, but a late morning wake up call will help you feel well-rested and you can still take advantage of the day. 

Plan your work for the week

The week goes by ridiculously fast, so it’s best to put some sort of plan in place to stay on track. For example, if you have three midterms and two assignments coming up, prioritize them based on levels of difficulty and any other factors. You may choose to allocate one day for each task or perhaps spend mornings studying and afternoons working on assignments. Either way, take some time to create a flexible plan. It will be super beneficial and put you in a good position when it’s time to return to school. 

Decide on a work cut-off time

Unless absolutely necessary, try not to spend all day every day doing work. Dedicate a number of hours a day—perhaps 9 AM to 5 PM—to focus on work. Then spend the rest of your evening resting, hanging out with friends and family, and just take it easy.