This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Toronto chapter.
Today marks the end of our survival pack giveaway! The winners have all been drawn and will be announced at the end of this post. First, however, we would like to thank all the collegiettes who took the time to contribute some excellent advice. We didn’t want all the great tips to go to waste, so we decided to compile them into this article. Without further ado, we present:
COLLEGE SURVIVAL 101
1. Pace yourself and relax. I always find myself getting stressed and frustrated while I’m studying for a test/exam, or working on an assignment. What I learned is that if everything is going wrong or if it feels like time is collapsing on you, just stop. Take a breath. Stand up, walk around, lie on your bed for a while, play on your phone, whatever. Then go back and rethink what you’re doing. If I messed up a project that’s due tomorrow and I have to restart, I’ll quickly go over what I have to do, how I’m going to do it, when I hope to get it done, and if I have to wake up early to add final touches. Trust me, becoming frustrated WILL cloud up your mind and make it harder for you to think and focus. So just relax. It also helps me to listen to “One Step at a Time” by Jordin Sparks cause it reminds me to do just that. – Queenie
2. Live a balanced lifestyle! Take breaks in between studying and go hit the gym once in a while to keep fit. Also, join clubs and engage in some extracurricular activities for some stress relief. Academic wise, I would recommend going to office hours and ask questions. Or even listen to the prof answering other people’s questions. – Elaine
3. You don’t need to stay up all night, avoid friends and extra-curriculars, or even really study daily to get a 4.0. 85% of the time, the reason you’re not receiving an 85% is simple: you procrastinate, perhaps because you’re behind, because you’re doubting yourself, or because you’re bored. There’s an equally simple solution: just sit down to what you need to do, and right now! The only way to ensure that your grades go up is the least complex one: work towards understanding everything, and start today, not the day before your mid-term. – Sophia
4. Always remember to take care of yourself through it all. Eat and sleep right, get outdoors, exercise, and make time for friends. Its important to have a school-life balance! – Madeline
5. Don’t let schoolwork take up all your time, make sure to make time for your friends and family. They’re your greatest defense against the stress and anxiety of midterm/exam season! – Vanessa
6. Make sure to not skip out on sleep, or feel stressed when you hear how late people stay up to study – do what works best for your body and schedule. – Daryna
7. Take courses you’re interested in and not just ones you have to take. – Heather
8. Get to know your professors, and visit them in office hours. – Crystal
9. Remember to take at least five minutes a day to relax and do what makes you happy. – Chelsea
10. Don’t over commit! Joining clubs/working is awesome, but when your schedule is planned down to the half-hour, life might be a little more stressful than fun. Take it from someone who knows. – Grace
11. Chunk your work out! Things seem a lot more hopeful if you have lots of little goals! – Shivani
12. Learn what time management means (people really like to throw those words around!) and actually use your agenda. – Tanvi
13. Carry teabags in your wallet! Saves you $$ when friends spring an unplanned trip to Starbucks on you. – Sabrina
Hopefully some of these tips will be helpful to you – or maybe you’ve already started doing them!
WINNERS
Our 10 winners are:
Queenie
Elaine
Sophia
Madeline
Crystal
Chelsea
Shivani
Tanvi
Daryna
Grace
Thank you so much for entering, ladies. You can pick up your survival kits any day at room 1068 (ASSU Office) in Sidney Smith, located at 100 St. George Street. I look forward to seeing you then!
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