With the new semester quickly approaching, college students are either dreading or looking forward to going back to school. It is true that I want to see everyone and catch up over everything that's happened in the last month, but it would be great if that could happen without the requirement of learning. However, the time has come for us to give up the precious hours of sleep and the sitting around and doing nothing for days aspect of winter break and face the new semester. Netfliix will have to wait until spring in order to be binge-watched. On the brink of the new semester here are some tips on how to start your semester off right.
1. Read the syllabus.
If there is one thing you take away from reading this let it be to read the syllabus. Everything that is expected from you for the entire semester is printed somewhere within those pages, and if it isn’t there, you shouldn’t be responsible for it. Everything from assignments, to point breakdowns, to the date of all of the tests are held within this holy grail of information. Questions you may have about the class can almost always be answered by looking through here. Don’t be the uninformed student who asks the questions about due dates that everyone else knows the answer to.
2. Don’t let “chillabus” week get to you.
For those of you who don’t use this term, it’s a label given to the first week of the semester. People often tend to have more fun than they should due to the fact that there isn’t as much work as usual. Truth is, depending on your major, this may not even apply to you, and if it does, it's rarely a week long. It’s maybe a day of class for some if they’re lucky, or it’s usually 15 minutes for me. The first week of the semester is a good time to figure out what will be expected of you and to see what you will need to do throughout the semester. Use this time wisely!
3. Stay organized.
The struggle to maintain organization starts as soon as you start your first class. You’ll be getting papers and taking notes, and it’s incredibly easy to get lost in all of it and forget where you put everything. Having individual notebooks, binders, or folders for each class can be key. You never want to misplace any assignments, or, most importantly, your syllabus.
4. Make sure you get your textbooks.
This is something that I personally struggle with as well. Having to fork out hundreds of dollars every semester when you're already forking out thousands for tuition, is heartbreaking. It’s awful, and sometimes you don’t even use the textbooks that you buy. A good thing to do is ask people you know who have taken the class if it's worth it. You can also search online for cheaper paperback, loose-leaf, or online versions. There are plenty of options for textbooks, just try to keep your cool when your professor gives you a last-minute assignment out of the book, when you didn't even know that the class had the book.
5. Establish a routine.
This is just the beginning, and it’s only going to get more hectic from here. Establishing a routine and figuring out what you’ll typically need to do for each day of the week is a great way to get it all started. If you know what will be expected of you, you’ll have a way better time getting it all taken care of. College is a busy time. Managing school, work, friends, and other activities can be a challenge. However, developing a routine can help you to be less stressed and more productive.
These are five simple things to do to help you have a kick-butt semester. Good luck going back to school, and remember that it won’t be long until spring break!
