6 Tips for Surviving the Semester

2015-04-12T08:48:00.001-07:00

Its crunch time! No I don’t mean Cap’n Crunch time, I mean the semester is almost over and I have to crunch months of grad school work into the next five weeks! I am sure that there are many other grad students out there who are in the same boat as I am and instead of writing/reading, you are on the internet! Don’t worry, I won’t waste your time here at The Daily Conquer! Today’s post is about 6 tips I use to survive the end of the semester which may also help you finish the semester strong!

Coffee – Enough said. I know that I can’t start the day without my morning cup. Sipping on some coffee in the morning gives me a couple of moments to allow the cobwebs to clear from my head and help me think clearly. If you don't like coffee have a cup of tea or juice. Something to help your body rejuvenate from the 7 hours of sleep (I hope) you just woke up from.

With that being said you should always…

Play to your strengths – We are not all the same nor do we all function the same so be sure the play to your own strengths. Personally, I cannot work past 11 p.m. If I do the quality of my writing and reading comprehension severely declines. I tend to wake up around 6 a.m. during the week and around 7 a.m. during the weekend. But this may not be the best time for you to work so ask yourself what are my strengths.Whatever your strengths are find them and use them to your advantage.
Realize there are no such things as weekends – I currently work two jobs and I am taking 9 hours of classes. Many of my fellow graduates often ask me how I manage. It’s simple, I don’t get weekends. Because it is so hard for me to work late at night I rarely accomplish anything during the week. Most days I come home around 6 or 7 p.m. and by then my brain is mush. So I have to make up by putting in ten hour days during the weekend (sometimes longer). Seriously, I only come out of my office for lunch and dinner.

But please remember…

Do take breaks or you will break – This is probably one of the more important tips. Graduate school is hard and you don’t want to make it harder by hurting yourself. The stress can really work a number on you. Not to mention, sitting for 10 hours straight at a computer can wreak havoc on your wrists, back, and eyes! Because of the long hours at the computer I am starting to get ulnar neuropathy and carpal tunnel.So I ended up having to take three weeks off from any sort of typing and spending $50 on arm braces! So remember to take breaks or you will break!
Do whatever it takes – I do whatever it takes to conquer my goals. To help with my back and wrist pain I went through two different desk arrangements!

As a poor college student I can’t afford a $300 executive chair or a new desk so at first I would sit on top of pillows hoping this would help with my back pain – it didn’t! Then I tried putting my keyboard lower to help with the wrist issues but my back would still hurt. Finally, I grabbed several boxes that we hadn’t unpacked and created a standing desk! I also purchased Dragon Dictation Software when it was on sale to help with the typing. Let me know in the comments if you are interested in seeing a review and I would be more than happy to post one!

Get a good team of support – Finally, the most important thing is to have a good team of support. I know I could not spend as much time on my homework or my thesis if it wasn’t for my husband. He cooks all the meals, does all the chores, and takes care of our pets. He never once tries to make me feel bad about it. I even get back and arm massages when I am in pain! I also have to mention that family support is crucial. If you are as busy as I am, you do not even have time to eat three times a day let alone chat for hours on the phone with your family. This is why it is imperative to have support from your family during grad school. I let all my family members know that during the semester I will be unavailable and they respect that. There is no way I could put everything aside without their support!

Oh and don’t forget the furry support team! They always make sure I have enough kisses to make it through the day!

I know we are all feeling the pressure as the semester is coming to a close and everything is due! These 6 tips could really help you make it through the end of the semester and conquer your goals! Current grad students do you find that you already use some of these tips? Do you have some different strategies? Share them in the comments below!

Cassie The Conqueror

2015-04-08T20:46:00.001-07:00

Sometimes when I look back on my life I wonder, "have I actually accomplished anything?"

Usually my first answer is no. I tend to forget all the goals I have conquered in the past and only focus on the negatives. I am currently a graduate student who is working two jobs and taking nine hours of class (three of which are for my thesis!). Sometimes it seems like where I want to go in life is in a completely different direction from where I end up. Sometimes it can feel like I take two steps forward and five steps back!

But if I take a step back and think about it, I have actually accomplished some things in my life. So much so that you can feel free to call me Cassie the Conqueror. :) I was the first in my family to go to college and I was determined to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in four years - done. I had also set the goal for myself that I would get a job working with animals straight out of college - I was hired as a full-time Animal Trainer at the Texas State Aquarium before I had even graduated.

Somewhere along the way I decided I wanted a change in life and spent half of a spring and early summer on Padre Island National Seashore protecting nesting Kemp's ridley seat turtles as a Seasonal Biological Science Technician.

Here I am releasing a Kemp's who has a transmitter which is used to track migratory patterns

I also spent the last part of the summer watching young Aplomado Falcons take their first flight on Mustang Island for The Peregrine Fund as a Hack Site Attendant. Somewhere in all of that I was also part of H-E-B's Slim down Showdown weight loss challenge. Although I didn't win the competition I became a whole lot healthier and now weigh 56 pounds lighter! Not to mention I met some amazing people along the way!

After reflecting on everything it seems like I have conquered quite a few goals in my life and while my path hasn't always been the straightest it has been fun! My next goal is to get a Master's degree in Communication and marry my love of animals with my communication skills! I accumulate what I like to call "daily conquers" which get me one small step closer to that goal!

So follow me as I take little steps throughout life which will ultimately lead to greater victories! Along the way I will share all the knowledge I have learned about grad school, job hunting, and communication! I hope that one day you too can feel like calling yourself a conqueror!