The end of the semester is fast approaching. The senior show is up, portfolio reviews are happening, and students in all departments are starting to scramble to meet end of semester deadlines. This is a very stressful time in an art students life. Time becomes of the essence and projects have to be carefully chosen. Suddenly every idea that pops into your head is no longer a possibility. A lot of focus is required and hopefully by the end you will have learned a great deal about working under pressure.

During this time I find it very helpful to make lists and keep tabs on things going on outside of the studio. One mustn’t forget about academic classes; these cannot be neglected. As a general rule of thumb I try to get all of my academic obligations done first and then increase my time in the studio. 12 hour days become 14 and just when you don’t think you could spend another minute working on your projects, you always end up wishing for an extra few minutes with it. Sleep may suffer on certain days, but doesn’t it always?

My advice to anyone struggling through these stressful times would definitely be to keep calm and level headed. Nothing is as bad as it seems and it’s almost over. Focus is key and managing your time properly helps immensely. Make lists, set reminders, start keeping your day planner again; whatever it takes. Always try to get a reasonable amount of sleep, and come to terms with coffee not being a cure-all.

Working under pressure is a skill that is best learned early on. I encourage all of you who are under the gun during “end of semester crunch time” to take a step back, take a deep breath, and realize that things are no where near as bad as they seem and each of you are more than capable of completing the tasks at hand. It was famously written, “this too shall pass,” and so shall this.