College is an exciting time, but it can also be pretty crazy. In addition to academics, college students have to manage extracurriculars, jobs/internships, friends, family, and even doing laundry. It's a big adjustment from high school but success is possible. To help you have a successful spring semester, here are a few tips that helped me my first semester at college.
1. Plan, plan, plan
Planning is essential to success in college. Whether it be academics, clubs, or appointments, it is extremely important to write down everything you have to do. Not only will this make you less stressed out, but it will ensure that you don't forget important events. By writing down everything you have to do, you will be more productive with your time. You may even have more time for yourself!
2. Take notes
This may be rather obvious, but taking notes is extremely important in college. I prefer to take physical written notes, because it helps me retain information better, but electronic notes work too. Taking notes will help you stay engaged during class, and will be very useful to you when exam time rolls around. There's no need to reread an entire textbook!
3. Go to office hours
Some people have the misconception that office hours are scary, that professors are mean and don't want to help students. This is completely false! Professors want to see their students succeed and have office hours for a reason. Even if you have just one question an assignment it is worth going to office hours. Not only will your questions and confusions be answered, but your professor will see that you are putting forth effort in the class. Who knows, they may even be more likely to round your grade at the end of the semester.
4. Exercise
During a busy school week, the last thing on your mind is running a few miles or heading to the gym. We often believe that all of our time should be spent studying in order to succeed in school. But this is completely false, and as little as 30 minutes of exercise is beneficial.
Exercise helps mood and brain health. Therefore, getting in a few minutes of exercise will elevate your mood by releasing endorphins. The release of endorphins will help you de-stress during a hectic week and make you feel calm, confident, and happy. Additionally, the increased circulation that occurs during exercise will help improve your memory and enhance your academic performance.
5. Catch some Z's
It may be hard when you have multiple exams, club meetings, and homework, but sleep is vital! Most young adults need at least 7-9 hours of sleep a night, which may be hard to get with a hectic schedule. But, a full night's rest is much more valuable than an extra hour or two of studying. Sleep increases your focus and improves your working memory, allowing you to perform better in class and on exams.
6. Forget about the past
A lot of the time we harbor over past assignments and exams, whether the outcome of them be good or bad. Spending your time thinking about how well you did, or how poorly you did on something is not beneficial. It is critical to forget about past performances in order to focus on your current performance. Stay focused, and think in the present!
7. Reward yourself
After a long day of classes or a three hour exam sometimes all you want to do is sit in bed and watch Netflix, and that's okay! Rewarding yourself is necessary; it keeps you from burning out and will give you the energy needed to continue to work hard.
I hope these tips are as helpful to you as they were to me during my first semester. Work hard and have fun!
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