Remember in early September when you promised yourself to stay on top of things this semester? Your planner was full of bright colored to-do lists and you even used stickers to help plan out weeks. You were going to do all your readings before lecture and your research papers would be done the week prior. Isn’t it just comical? It’s now mid-November and you’re in the library till 2 a.m. cramming for an exam that you did not study for because you were out all weekend. Those cute stickers from your planner? They are all stuck to the bottom of your backpack under a bundle of unread textbooks. Almost all of those promises you made for yourself in September have fallen through.
However, you’ve gotten through all of this before, and if this is your first semester of college you will, too. Get some rest, drink lots of water and go back to prioritizing your time (or at least attempting to again). If you are still having doubts about how you will get through this semester, here is some guidance to help keep your head up and carry on. You got this, girl.
First off, fix your mindset
If you start your week thinking it’s going to be a challenge and you’re going to fail—you are starting your week off completely wrong. Embrace the challenges and find the chance to learn something new from them. College is not meant to be easy, we all know that by now. If you try to find the positives and lessons from the challenges that college life brings you will be just fine.
Create a morning routine
This is going to sound absolutely crazy, but try to wake up at least an hour before you have to leave. This will give you time to make breakfast, move your body a bit and organize your day before it starts. Stop snoozing your alarms, get up and get ready for your day. When you have time to put yourself together in the morning, your day should go by much smoother. A little yoga sesh and healthy breakfast doesn’t hurt either in the morning!
Make realistic to-do lists
Rip out a blank sheet of paper and write down all the necessary tasks you need to get done soon. Be honest with yourself and put all of the most time-consuming and difficult tasks at the top of your list. Make these tasks your top priorities and put earlier deadlines next to them so you get them done early. This will relieve an immense amount of stress crossing off your most crucial tasks on your to-do list.
Eat healthy and get some sleep
It is so easy to stop at the student union and pick up a muffin or bag of chips every day, but that becomes very cost-worthy and unhealthy. Your body and wallet will thank you if you put together your meals from home and chose healthier options. Almonds, bananas and granola bars are quick and healthy options to fill up and keep you going throughout your day. Also, it is so important that you are getting enough sleep throughout the week. Instead of staying at the library till the early morning, try splitting up your study hours throughout the day. Go the library before or right after class for a few hours. This will make it easier for you to go home at a reasonable time to get some well-deserved sleep.
Now you have some helpful pointers to get you through this semester, go and conquer it. College life is tough, but so are you.