The air is chilled, the holidays are over, and the college students are (relatively) well-rested and ready to get another semester under their belts. I'm a huge fan of making personal goals around arbitrary dates (still haven't had any soda since 12/31/2017), so when it comes to something concrete like a new school term I get really excited. Whether you're someone like me who thrives with a structured schedule or are just looking to develop some helpful habits, I hope these five resolutions can help establish the groundwork for a stellar spring semester!
1. Buy a planner and write out all of your assignments from your syllabi.
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Keeping a planner on your person with all of the assignments for the semester has SO many benefits: you have a visual reference that lets you easily see what assignments are due for the week without having to cross-check between online modules or flip through syllabus pages, you can look ahead at big deadlines in the coming months, and any notes about fun events on campus or to remind you of a friend's birthday can be written right in.
This can be as detailed as you'd like: I'm a big color-coder, so each of my classes has an associated color that all of their assignments are written in (science is green, of course). Some of my friends are big into bullet journals and organize their planners in that style, others prefer agendas that only have monthly views, and still more like a hybrid of monthly and weekly. The main idea here is that, no matter the format of your planner (as long as it's composed in a way that is readable and makes sense to you), having one will likely put you in a much more organized space of mind.
2. Schedule out your day and stay consistent.
One of the greatest pieces of wisdom I learned in high school came from an assignment created by my English teacher, Mr. Ernst: have a set schedule for the majority of your day regarding study time, relaxation, meals, and when you'll wake up or go to sleep. Again, I absolutely thrive when I have structure, so really mapping out my days has helped my time management skills significantly.
I'll refer back to time management in a moment, but I want to emphasize how wonderful consistency is as a college student: because classes aren't in a 7:45 am-3:45 pm block like they were in high school, we have more "free" time in our day that can get filled up with procrastination just as quickly as it does with work, clubs, and all of the other ways we spend our time. Having a framework at the very minimum still helps establish a routine and creates spaces where we can regularly dedicate time to study and work on assignments.
Many professors recommend a minimum of 2 hours spent studying for every 1 hour that class is held - for students averaging five classes, those hours add up QUICK. As I said before, organization is KEY. The chances of higher academic success and lower stress can both be helped with the organization of time!
I do want to mention that, naturally, there are days when I'm not always on the ball, but just having a guideline for myself has been critical.
3. Designate "me-time."
Going back to the time management assignment, something that Mr. Ernst was extremely adamant about was making sure we designated one hour for ourselves that was not related to classes.
This can really be anything, so long as it is something that brings you passion or peace: think your favorite self-care routine - playing Animal Crossing (I see you, march 20th), listening to a podcast, binge-watching "The Office," lifting weights, coloring, going for a walk, or any other activity that can give you a healthy escape from the stress of college and keep you from burning out.
4. Create relationships with your professors.
This might very well sound like something you have heard before, but your professors really are there to help you succeed. Taking advantage of opportunities to get to know your professors better like swinging by their office hours or stopping to talk when you see them on campus both allows you to build a level of comfort and rapport with them, as well as laying the foundation for potential networking in your professional career.
5. Be gentle and take care of yourself.
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Above all else - college, work, relationships, and any other obligations - we are human. We make mistakes (of various sizes): sleeping through an alarm, missing a deadline, over-committing, starting an assignment a few hours before it's due, and countless other scenarios that most students face at one point or another. There is a lot to keep track of, even excluding what a planner can cover!
I believe that in order to have a successful semester you have to be kind and empathetic with yourself.
There are a few things that I think are absolutely essential to adequately caring for yourself: from the standpoint of health, sleeping and eating well are at the core of this. Sleeping well involves giving yourself time to reach those 7-8 hours recommended for college students by going to bed earlier; eating well involves providing yourself access to nutritious foods and doing so often.
In addition to taking care of your physical health, your mental health deserves the same attention: asking yourself "Am I okay?," "Am I feeling overwhelmed?," and "Do I feel like I'm managing stress well?" are all important places to start. Campus-based counseling services are wonderful places to follow up if you are feeling a little off or as though things are piling up.
Finally, there are plenty of small goals that you can set for yourself each and every day that will all contribute to the academic success waiting on the other end of the semester: packing up your bag and setting clothes out at night for the next day, cleaning your room before it gets to be too much, and so many other housekeeping tasks of the sort that make a huge difference once they're out of the way.
Those are tips I've found really helpful in keeping me organized and on top of my game! Hopefully, they are able to help you too!
