We are officially four weeks into the semester, and let’s just say it is not getting any easier. As assignments begin to pile up and extracurriculars become more of a commitment, it’s hard enough to find time for a social life, let alone time for yourself.
I could talk about how planning, meal prepping and creating a strict schedule can make your life feel more structured, but we’ve all heard that before. Instead, I want to focus on the mundanity of a busy semester — and, more importantly, how to combat it.
Here is a quick guide to romanticizing your semester without adding more time to your already busy schedule.
1. Start Your Day with a Morning Routine You Actually Look Forward To
When you wake up in the morning, don’t immediately let yourself doomscroll or lie in bed until you have no choice but to get up. Instead, give yourself something small to look forward to. Make your bed, journal for a few minutes, make a yummy breakfast, put on your favorite playlist or make yourself a coffee you love.
Your morning doesn’t have to be an hour-long routine with fifteen different steps. Even a few intentional minutes can make your morning feel less like something you have to get through and more like something you get to enjoy.
2. Dress in a Way That Makes You Feel Put Together
The way you dress can affect how you feel throughout the day, but “put together” looks different for everyone. Maybe you feel your best in jeans and a cute top, or maybe you can only function in your favorite sweatshirt and leggings. Whatever you wear, dress for yourself. Instead of throwing on the first thing you see because you’re running late, intentionally choose an outfit that makes you feel comfortable, confident and excited to start your day.
3. Create Tiny Traditions with Your Friends
It can be difficult to make time for friends when everyone has different commitments and schedules. One way to make it easier to keep up with the people you love is to incorporate them into the everyday things you already have to do. Plan to have lunch together once a week, meet up to study, grab coffee before class or take a walk around campus together. Make these get-togethers a part your weekly routine, beause even something as simple as walking to class with a friend can completely change the feeling of an ordinary day.
4. Find Cute Places to Study
Get out of your room or your usual library spot and find a new space that you can enjoy being in. There are a lot of cafés around Blacksburg that are walkable from campus and perfect for settling in with your laptop and getting some work done. And if you don’t feel like spending money on coffee every time you study (I don’t blame you), there are plenty of beautiful and quiet spots around campus that don’t cost a thing.
5. Make a Semester Playlist
Nothing beats walking across campus with your headphones in, listening to music that somehow captures exactly what this chapter of your life feels like. Curate a playlist throughout the semester with songs that make you happy, motivated, nostalgic or simply remind you of this particular season of your life. Don’t worry too much about making it perfect. Let it grow naturally as the semester goes on.
You don’t need to upset your entire order of things to romanticize your semester. Sometimes, it’s simply about recognizing the little changes you can make to the life you’re already living and allowing yourself to enjoy it.