- GET A PLANNER. I don’t think I can emphasize this one enough. Whether you’re in class, at a club meeting, or just hanging out with your friends, planners are the only way to not double-book yourself. While the calendar in your phone and computer is good in a pinch, having a pen-and-paper planner also helps you visualize what you need to do on each day. This will help you maximize your free time, which means not only more time to study, but also more time to… well, not study.
- STUDY. This sounds silly, but it’s true. Especially at the beginning of the semester, we get caught up in catching up with everyone, making new friends, and having fun! Besides, it’s still warm out, so we better enjoy it while we can! While hanging out with friends might be fun, though, needing to get perfect scores on the remainder of your assignments for the semester isn’t. Just take an hour or two out of your day to get that work done, so you’re not rushing!
- EAT WELL. You want to do it all. I want to do it all. We all want to do it all. The thing they don’t tell you is that if you have two classes, a gym session, and a club meeting all in one day plus homework and social time, you will drop dead at the end of the day. Just add not getting your vitamins into that mix, and you’re setting yourself up for a pretty nasty cold. I know dining hall food is less than below par, but make sure you get in all your fruits and veggies before you have to visit the doctor’s office.
- SLEEP. Just like eating well, sleeping is something we tend to write out of our schedules (see, #1). With so much to do and so many people to see, why sleep? However, if you don’t sleep, you literally will drop to the floor, and struggling through class running on five cups of coffee shouldn’t be an everyday occurrence—let’s save that for emergencies, like finals. Instead, get at least six hours a night (You should really get between 8 and 9 hours.) to make sure you can have an awesome day.
- HAVE FUN. This one may sound a little cliché, but many people gloss over how important this is. Sure, you go to school to have fun and gain experiences you would not have had elsewhere, but all work and no play is not only a recipe for an unhappy camper. You don't want to be someone who ends up hating school and doesn’t want to do anything but sleep in their room. Make sure you set aside time for your friends and going out when you’re not studying. Without this, some people literally go insane. Remember—while college is supposed to make you smarter, it doesn’t make you wiser if you don’t have any mistakes to learn from!
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
