Well, it is November, and that means we are coming down to about the last month of the semester.

The last few weeks have very been hectic for me, as I have one assignment after another, group projects and single projects and papers to write that have all seemed to pile up right in front of me. Of course, all of these are due around the same time.

There have been days and nights where I literally wanted to pull my hair out because the stress was way too much for me to handle.

There have also been times where I have jokingly said I would drop out (is it really a joke though?) But then I had to stop and think about the fact that I am graduating in May.

This is literally the last school year I will have, at least the last one I plan to have for now, and although the assignments and hard work can be too stressful at times, it is all worth it in the end when I get my degree.

For me, it has been extremely helpful to make a list of things to do. I no longer use a planner, but I have found that use the notepad application on my iPhone, as well as using the calendar, have both been great ways to make lists of assignments, because I am more likely to check my phone than I would open my backpack to check my planner.

Also, it helps to take breaks.

A lot of times we tend to stress out and want to just get everything done all at once, but it is not exactly the best thing or the most healthy thing to do.

For me, I try to get one to two things done at once, and then I take a break. Depending on the due dates, I obviously get the nearest thing due done first. When I get one or two things done, I will take a small break, maybe wait a day and then start on the next assignment or project.

Sleeping also works wonders for our stress.

At times, we are so worked up and stressed out about our assignments that we tend to have difficulty falling asleep or getting a decent amount of sleep.

At night, I do find myself thinking about everything that needs to be done, but at some point I just have to somehow shut my brain off temporarily and tell myself that I need to take the time to get some rest and worry about what I need to do the following day.

Also, we should not forget to eat and drink.

I am the type that can go days without eating a single meal. I know, it’s crazy.

But when I get in a situation where I am very stressed, I may not even eat a single bite of food. And that is not a good thing.

Food gives us nutrition and energy to get things done.

One day of not eating may not sound bad, but at the end of the day you will notice a huge lack of energy and you will not feel your best. How do you expect to accomplish anything while feeling this way? Also, we need to drink plenty of fluids and hydrate ourselves. This will help our minds.

Right now we are all on the path of everything being assigned at once, and it is a lot to handle for most of us. But we have to remember that in just one month, we will be finished with the semester and home for Christmas vacation with our family.

Keep your chin up and do not let the stress overtake your entire life.

Andrew Paisley is a senior journalism major. He can be reached  at 581-2812 or at abpaisley@eiu.edu.