Importance of taking a break

With midterms and fall break rapidly approaching, it’s time to grab a cup of coffee, crack open those textbooks, and scroll through videos for the next three hours wondering where the time has gone. Stressing about an essay that still hasn’t written itself. After two months of hard work, the last thing you want to do is sit down and study for endless hours. Finding a healthy balance of school, social, stress levels, and sleep is the key to academic success.

Much easier said than done, right? As an architecture student, I thought it was normal to sacrifice my social life, sleep schedule, and mental health to complete the most work possible before an impending deadline. By the time I got to fall break, instead of visiting my grandparents, I slept the whole long weekend. Feeling so extremely burnt out motivated me to find a more productive way to work.

In the second half of the fall semester, I made sure that I was getting a set amount of sleep each night, as well as giving myself proper breaks from my schoolwork during the day. I'd go eat lunch with a friend, go to the gym, or just go for a walk and enjoy the beautiful fall colors. Remember, taking breaks after the school day is just as important! Go cheer our Hokies on at a football or soccer game or attend a club meeting that you signed up for during Gobblerfest! (There is a second event in the spring semester called Gobblerfair, so don't worry if you haven’t signed up for any clubs yet!) After I started to implement these things into my day, I really noticed a vast improvement in my mental health and the quality of my schoolwork.

Virginia Tech has many great aspects, such as our Hokie community, beautiful campus, and amazing professors! Our university also has incredible mental health resources. Are you finding yourself stressed due to those upcoming midterms? Our four-legged friends (Derek, Josie and Epcot) can help you out with that. Virginia Tech also supports students through our counselors who can be found in Cook Counseling Center or with immediate help through TimelyCare and other virtual opportunities.