It sounds easier than it is. You get home from a full day of classes, lunches, meetings, and tutoring sessions and open your laptop, only to find that you have hundreds of things to do (an exaggeration, but you know what I mean). Assignments aside, and you have plenty of those, you have pages to read, power points to look at and flashcards to study.
Believe me, I hear you. As a former freshman with very few pre-developed study habits, I had no idea what to expect when coming to college. I wanted to do well but I didn’t know how.
Finding time to do your work, let alone relax, is stressful. But they key to success is all about maximizing your time.
Budgeting your day and using weekends as a catch up are great ways to make the time you need to do what makes you happy, whether that is hanging out with friends, journaling or taking long showers.
I learned the art of anti-procrastination. I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but it’s essential. Spending 10-30 minutes a day studying for each class sounds impossible, but you’d be shocked at the benefits. I did this for all my huge exams last year and it more than paid off. While all my friends were pulling all nighters, I was already prepared and well-rested. Which brings me to my second point.
Go to bed at a reasonable hour every day (minus weekends, though, that’s up to you). I’m talking before midnight. You may think that staying up past midnight doing homework is the way to get an A, but after 11, you can’t focus as well. Even on nights when you have tons to do, put down the books and put away your headphones at 10 pm. Use those last few hours of the day to do some self-care and do things you actually enjoy.
Finally, make a daily to-do list and stick to it. I found that in a lot of my big classes, we didn’t have daily homework, but long-term assignments. I would get stressed and start these super early, which was pointless, because we hadn’t even covered the needed material yet! For these classes and those with assignments due, make a daily to-do list and do a little bit of these daily. The to-do list will help you stay focused and you’ll feel accomplished when you get to cross things off!
Actually doing these things helped me a ton while I adjusted to the rigor and structure of college classes. Classes and large projects seem daunting, but it’s important to take time to sit back and smell the roses (or to just relax). Being stressed is a part of life, but life doesn’t have to be stressful. Find what works for you and make the most of your time here at school!