Keeping Your Pace Up

I know that my main focus in writing has been on preparing for the APFT, but it is time to touch on the scholarship aspect of ROTC. We often forget that as cadets we are students first. As the semester wears on, it can become difficult to keep up the momentum that we had going in the beginning. It is always tough to get back to work after a relaxing spring break. As a college student of five years, I have found a few ways to keep moving when the end is in sight.

1. Get out and enjoy the weather

For most students, spring break ends up setting you further back in your work. We never quite get to studying. This can make us feel like we have more to do than we have time for. With all of the work to do, some end up staying inside trying to get their work done instead of enjoying the improving weather. It is key to make some time to get out and have some fun. Exercising will reduce stress and provide a much-needed break from the studying. It will also improve your mood. It gets a lot easier to study when you feel better about life.

2. Don't get caught up in the increase in activity

Keeping in mind my advice from before, we must avoid getting caught up in the increase in social activity. As it warms up, people begin to spend more time socializing, whether at parties or less formal get-togethers. Professors tend to back-load course work. This combined with procrastination makes for an increase in workload for students. Continuing to put off work for more entertaining opportunities will bury students. Keep up with your work while enjoying yourself socially.

3. Don't forget what you have already done

After nine weeks it gets easy to forget all of the hours we have invested in our coursework. The worst thing to do at this point is to ease up and waste all of the hard work. All that work can be undone by taking a dive on just one exam, project or paper. Do what you can to keep up your hard work; you will be rewarded.