{"id":4752,"date":"2018-09-26T16:00:10","date_gmt":"2018-09-26T08:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tembusu.nus.edu.sg\/treehouse\/?p=4752"},"modified":"2025-09-25T12:52:27","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T04:52:27","slug":"6-tips-to-make-your-recess-week-the-most-productive-week-ever","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tembusu3.nus.edu.sg\/treehouse\/2018\/09\/6-tips-to-make-your-recess-week-the-most-productive-week-ever\/","title":{"rendered":"6 Tips to Make Your Recess Week the Most Productive Week Ever"},"content":{"rendered":"

With recess week upon us, Shane gives you 6 tips on how you can make the most of this time you have. Shane believes that you\u2019re not only capable but you will have the most awesome recess week you ever had inside and outside of Tembusu. Read this, follow it, act upon your inner inhibitions and have the most amazing time!<\/em><\/p>\n

\u2013<\/p>\n

We did it. We survived 6 brutal weeks of life in university and to commemorate this achievement, recess <\/em>week is here! Here are some tips on how to make recess week the most productive week ever! Follow these tips and you might be back on track to your 5.0 CAP by the end of recess week (if you\u2019re not already on track that is) \u2013 no promises though.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

1.<\/strong> Plan, strategize<\/em>, conquer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Recess week is only 7 days. It\u2019s not a lot of time but it\u2019s not too little time either. To make the most out of it, you need to plan your time well. Think about the things you have achieved the past 6 weeks and all the things you haven\u2019t. From there, plan what you want<\/em> to achieve, plan what you need<\/em> to accomplish and plan your recess week time around those goals<\/em> you have set yourself. Planning is the key to productivity! Recess is week only 7 days but that in itself is 168 hours which is a whopping 10,080 minutes. University is a battlefield and only the best of the best survive. You need to strategize your time well to win this war of the fittest and I know you can do it. No one goes into battle without a strategy. There are things that are outside your control but there are also things that are within your control and time is one of them. You can make the most out of the time you have and I know you can do it. Believe in yourself! 6 weeks are over and if you feel it was grossly unproductive, it\u2019s over, forget about that, it\u2019s not something you can control. What matters more is what you do with the time you have now, it\u2019s in your hands to make the most of it. You can do it, I know you can!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2. Make a list.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Did this list really just ask me to make a list? Yes, yes, this list indeed just asked you to make a list. There is only so much information we can retain in our brains, and for most of us, it is practically impossible to remember what we need to do, what we should do, when we should do it and when we need to complete it. What better way to keep track of what you need to accomplish for recess week than by creating a list! Recall the sheer satisfaction of checking tasks off your to-dos. That sheer sense of satisfaction is inexplicable. You\u2019ll feel so accomplished because you have evidence of productivity that earns you a pat on the back.<\/p>\n

But hey, life is full of distractions and you might find yourself in a situation where your to-do list goes unfinished for so many reasons but that\u2019s alright<\/em>. It doesn\u2019t matter whether you finish them or not at the end of the day! As long as that list has induced you to finish at least<\/em> one completed task, it has served its purpose! Imagine if you didn\u2019t have that list, I bet you wouldn\u2019t even finish that one completed task you intended to finish! So, don\u2019t beat yourself up if you didn\u2019t complete your list; instead, work around it. Adapt, re-think, re-schedule and re-focus! You STILL have time. Use that list to fight the demons of procrastination that exists within us all.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3. But remember to wake up early.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Recess week is the<\/em> week without any 8am tutorials and lectures! Use this time to catch up on sleep and clear your sleep debt. A sleep bank is actually a thing so that in itself is a reason why we need to sleep, to repay all the sleep we owe our body. Listen to your body, if it\u2019s telling you \u201cHEY, I need to rest!\u201d then give your body that sleep it wants \u2013 it deserves it. You deserve it! We don\u2019t need a rocket scientist (or a computer science major) to explain the benefits of sleep on productivity.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t overdo it though! It is so easy to over-indulge in sleep, and so make it a point to wake up early! Studies have shown that the wealthiest and most successful people in the world wake up early because it\u2019s scientifically related to productivity, and because I know that you are on your way to becoming one of those people, wake up early and start that journey now!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

4. Plan a schedule.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s one thing to plan, it\u2019s another thing to schedule. Now that you have a plan for what you want to accomplish for recess week and a list of things you wish to achieve to reach the goals you\u2019ve set yourself, you need to plan everything into a schedule so that you find yourself able to manage your time effectively. Why then is a schedule so important? It\u2019s so you don\u2019t forget the little stuff. Scheduling isn\u2019t only about what you need to do but also what you want<\/em> to do. Plan your time well and give yourself enough time to do things that aren\u2019t academically or intellectually important but emotionally important. Give yourself ample time for sleep, give yourself time to go and do things that you enjoy and give yourself time for all the little things that give life meaning beyond just studying, mugging and your CAP. Life is more <\/em>than that and you know it yourself!<\/p>\n

This is why scheduling is so important! It ensures that you set aside time for your mental well-being, so that, at the end of the day, you don\u2019t feel guilty for being unproductive. You\u2019ll have allocated time for yourself, your body, your soul and your heart.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

5. Unwind\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s called recess week for a reason and not studying or mugging week. That means it\u2019s time for you to take a break and unwind because you deserve it. Even if you feel you don\u2019t deserve it, you do! Take this time to re-centre yourself and rest. Do something you like do, something you love, something you\u2019re passionate about. Go out! Have fun! Act on your personal passions and ambitions \u2013 start a movement, or a social project\/experiment! Make it a point where when one asks you, \u201cHow was your recess week?\u201d, you find it within yourself to reply, \u201cIt was freaking AMAZING!\u201d Go, get drunk! Download Tinder and go on a date! Check something off your bucket list! Go get a piercing or even a tattoo! Learn a new skill or how to play an instrument! Try something you have never done before and make this recess week the most memorable one yet! Now is the time for you to make the most out of the time you have! You owe it to yourself. Create a story you can tell by the end of recess week! However, remember that these are just suggestions. You are not and should not be compelled to do whatever you don\u2019t feel like doing. Listen to your heart and ask yourself, what you want to do and do it! What you do this week should be about you and only you.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

6. Meditate, reflect and be grateful. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Again, don\u2019t fret on the things you didn\u2019t manage to accomplish during the first 6 weeks of school. Instead, focus on what you did<\/em> accomplish the last 6 weeks and congratulate yourself for doing it. Be proud of the littlest accomplishment and define yourself with what you achieved instead of what you didn\u2019t manage to achieve. Then, spend some time to reflect on what you could have done better and work on that. Life is a journey and the end-game isn\u2019t here yet. It\u2019s not about what you failed to do but what you do to change it. Pick yourself up, meditate and reflect on what you can do better and act upon it! I\u2019m with you every step of this journey and I know that you can <\/em>do it. You got this! I know you do.<\/p>\n

While you\u2019re at it, remember that while you focus on yourself, you\u2019re not walking this journey alone. Acknowledge your friends and the people around you and take this time to show some gratitude \u2013 to yourself, to your friends, to the people around you, to society. Gratitude and humility can go a long way, so take this time to thank everyone that was there for you along this journey. Thank yourself, your body, for surviving the last 6 weeks. Thank the new friendships forged and thank old ones for continuing to be there for you. Thank everyone who played a part in this story you\u2019re writing, thank everyone whom you\u2019ve made memories with, because what will survive of us are these intangibles.<\/p>\n

Go, friend, have the most awesome recess week ever!<\/p>\n

\u2014<\/p>\n

Featured image:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/jacksbas.files.wordpress.com\/2014\/06\/istock_000017343609large-make-things-happen4.jpg?w=1280<\/a><\/p>\n

Header image:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/productivitytheory.com\/how-being-positive-makes-you-more-productive\/<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014<\/p>\n

About the Author<\/em><\/p>\n

Shane saunters through life with a keen sense of exploration. Having found solace in yoga, spirit in indie music and passion in Economics & Southeast Asian Studies, Shane still actively seeks new pursuits. He\u2019s passionate about ideas surrounding poverty, race, multiculturalism and how we can work together towards a more equal and equitable society where everyone has a shot at life. He hopes to be a set of fresh eyes, a warm presence and to finally wake up on time for breakfast.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With recess week upon us, Shane gives you 6 tips on how you can make the most of this time you have. Shane believes that you\u2019re not only capable but you will have the most awesome recess week you ever had inside and outside of Tembusu. Read this, follow it, act upon your inner inhibitions and have the most amazing time!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":118,"featured_media":4756,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","publication_type-slice-of-life","theme-wellness","scope-nus","flavour-inspiring"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tembusu3.nus.edu.sg\/treehouse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4752","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tembusu3.nus.edu.sg\/treehouse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tembusu3.nus.edu.sg\/treehouse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tembusu3.nus.edu.sg\/treehouse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/118"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tembusu3.nus.edu.sg\/treehouse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4752"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/tembusu3.nus.edu.sg\/treehouse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4752\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4769,"href":"https:\/\/tembusu3.nus.edu.sg\/treehouse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4752\/revisions\/4769"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tembusu3.nus.edu.sg\/treehouse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4756"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tembusu3.nus.edu.sg\/treehouse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tembusu3.nus.edu.sg\/treehouse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tembusu3.nus.edu.sg\/treehouse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}