Written by Danielle Ainne Goh

With your back slightly bent, you are currently facing your laptop with tired, worn out eyes. Honestly, you don’t even know how long you’ve been sitting there. It seems like you’re finally done for the day, but when you get ready to reward yourself with the luxury of sleep, you realize you’ve forgotten about that paper you have to submit the following morning.

We are now almost at the end of the semester and every week feels like hell week. Most of us are probably worn out by acads, orgs, thesis, or a combination of these. Some people might be on the brink of losing their motivation to get at least 1.75, and are even thinking about settling for a tres.

In the midst of this chaos, I’m urging you to stay strong and hold on to those signature values of honor and excellence that an Iskolar ng Bayan has. Here’s how I *try* to do it.

First, meditate. Stop what you’re doing and take a break. Undoubtedly, while we are all aiming to achieve our personal goals, we sometimes lose track of ourselves in the process. We should never forget to have time for ourselves. Take a break from what you are doing, take deep breaths, and relax even for just a few moments.

Do things one-by-one. Holding onto the illusion—that by doing several things at the same time, you get to accomplish more—is quite dangerous. This mindset will only make you lose your focus and produce half-hearted results. Instead, write down everything that you have to accomplish and rank them from most to least urgent. Don’t strain yourself by rushing every task, but give yourself a time limit and force yourself to maintain a pace that will allow you to finish everything that you have to do.

Continuously challenge yourself. When it feels like your only option is to give up, think about the possibilities that could have happened—if only you took that extra step, given that extra effort, produced that extra dose of energy to reach your goals. Think about how you are doing so far and what improvements you can make. It seems hard now, but you need to think about how much it will pay off later when you receive an uno or get that organizational position you’ve worked so hard for.

Give yourself a dose of inspiration. When you’re feeling low, or when you think about how hard it is to finish two papers, review for three long exams, and prepare for a report – all in the same week—just remember the very feeling you had when you first found out that you got accepted into UP. Remember the first time you stepped onto the campus and how it felt just right. Remember how motivated you were—and should still be—to face the challenges head on. You knew that that it would be a tough ride, but you also know that it will all be worth it in the end.

Lastly, do not be too hard on yourself. When you know that you’ve done your best, even if the results fall short from your expectations, you should not be disheartened. Instead, make it a driving force to become better. Know that despite the challenging times, you are given the opportunity and capability to be strong and overcome these hardships. As long as you keep going, as long as you encapsulate honor and excellence, and as long as you remember that you are not only doing this for yourself – you will make it.

Survive because you can—and you surely will. Stay OrComazing.