There is a learning curve at the beginning of every new semester, but somehow the spring semester is always the one that sneaks up on you. Often times the good habits you may have established in the fall don't carry over the spring and disorganization ensues. Here are 5 tips to give you the mental and physical endurance to make it through the spring (relatively) stress-free.
1. Keep a Planner
By keep I mean buy, fill out, and check regularly past the second week of school. It is so easy to forget about your planner even though it really can save your life. It never fails that without writing it down, at least one assignment you promised you wouldn't forget slips through the cracks. Whether you work, have kids (human or fur), or are just a full-time student; there is no avoiding a constantly packed schedule. Keeping a planner will help you organize your assignments and appointments so there are no more stressful surprises. Try pulling out your planner every morning while having breakfast or a cup of coffee to establish a routine of keeping up with your daily and weekly schedule. This will help you remember assignments and encourage you to continue filling in your planner with new assignments.
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2. Eat Breakfast
It really is the most important meal of the day. It is so convenient to grab a coffee and forget the food, but do yourself a favor and grab a protein bar - even if you don't want it. I'm not talking a full plate of breakfast every morning, but put something nutritious in your body to get you through the morning so that you aren't dying by lunchtime. Eating even a small breakfast can give you the physical endurance to make it through a long day much more comfortably. Try checking your local dollar store for protein bars. Many dollar stores get shipments from local grocery stores that overstock and will carry name brand snacks that are easy to grab on the go.
3. Go to Office Hours
Professors can seem intimidating but are often more than not willing to help you out. They are also much more likely to cut you a break if they see you often for office hours and see the work you are putting into the class. Depending on your professor, you can get everything from homework help to test prep during their office hours that can really cut down on stress when it comes to difficult classes. Try doing (or at least starting) assignments the day they are handed out and fitting office hours into your weekly schedule so that you are getting instructor assisted study time the entire semester. Very little study time outside of lecture and office hours should be necessary if it's part of your weekly routine.
4. Make At Least Two Friends in Every Class
Having friends in your classes cuts out the stress of missing a class because of traffic or life because you know you can get the notes you need. On top of that, establishing study groups allows you to bounce ideas and questions off of your classmates in order to produce better finished papers and assignments. Anywhere from homework help to study guides, having someone else there to work with cuts down on time and is moral support. Try sitting in the front of your classes at the beginning of the year and introducing yourself to the people who sit around you. Front-rowers are more likely to care about the class and want to study with you later on. Exchange numbers and find a time that works for everyone to study together. This is especially helpful in challenging or work-intensive classes that will really stress you out.
5. Make Time For You
When the work starts piling up it's easy to feel like there aren't enough hours in the day to accomplish it all. Never feel guilty for taking a long bath, going to see a movie with friends, or just sitting around in sweats for a night. Sometimes you need it. It is always more productive to work diligently with an unstressed mind, rather than cramming all of the work in at the last minute. Try setting aside time for homework every day except for one, where you have set aside time to do whatever you want to do for yourself. This will help you keep both a good study habit and a habit of self care that will leave you feeling ready to take on the rest of the semester.
Good Luck!
