The Eightfold College Path
Lessons from Buddhism, applied to college finals time! Adjust as needed. Everyone’s path is unique.
Right View
Everyone tells you to enjoy college because you’ll be working full-time when you enter the real world, right? That means college isn’t real. Therefore, assignments exist only in your mind. Let go.
It means to see things through, to grasp the impermanent and imperfect nature of worldly objects and ideas… – The Noble Eightfold Path
Right Intention
Sure, we’ve all known about this assignment for a month and we meant to start these essays sooner, to write multiple drafts and everything. Procrastination came to do battle with our willpower. Guess who won? Wait, that’s due tomorrow?
Right Speech
Bad-mouthing your professors doesn’t get your work done any sooner. Take responsibility for your actions (or inaction).
Right Action
Naps don’t count. Though they can’t hurt.
Right Livehihood
Exam week survival foods are coffee, spicy & tangy almonds from Trader Joe’s, ice cream, and celebratory beers to be enjoyed in the sun with other zombies-in-training.
Right Effort
That is to say, not much at all until the deadline is close enough that it feels palpable. Also refer to the “oh sh*t moment.”
Right Mindfulness
Nap. Often. Never turn down invitations to happy hour, even when you know that’s a misnomer and you’ll end up out longer than a single hour. See also: “I’ll go to this party and just have one drink and do some work when I get home.”
Right Concentration
Think mindfully about the overwhelming amount of work you have. Carefully compute how much of the course reading you would have to do to be caught up by exam time. Then call your friends to commiserate about how much studying you’re doing. Cover your bases by posting complaints on Facebook.
