New School Year. New Me?
If you’re reading this, you’re not too late. (Drake reference?) Anyone can change their habits to enhance their college career, whether it is your social or academic life. As a current sophomore, I look back on my freshman year with a list of regrets, but also, a list of things I thought worked well for me.
We all have goals, so why not try to successfully conquer all of them? Here is a list of five ways to have a good school year.
One. You need to organize yourself. I feel like a broken record saying this, but it helps with ensuring success in your college career. We all take multiple classes and many of us participate in various extracurricular activities. Using a planner or calendar can help you visualize everything you have to do. You can see when you have to meet with your TA, what homework is due, and what night your club is meeting. Writing down major dates such as birthdays, exams, and weekend getaways will help you in the long run as well. Do you want to be that kid who forgets an essay is due in class the next day? Or be the one who forgets your friend’s birthday?
Two. You need to write. This is related to organizing, but writing helps you learn so much more than typing away at a computer. If a random, but important thought comes to mind, jot it down in the corner of your notebook or on a post-it because it may get lost in your short term memory. Our brain can only remember about seven pieces of information at a time. We enjoy cramming things into our short term memory, but our brain has a much more powerful long term memory.
Third. You need to be present. In order to be present, you need to be living in the moment. During class, don’t be the one sitting in the corner on Facebook, but rather, actively listen and participate. Each year, we shell out tens of thousands of dollars to get an education, why waste that opportunity to do something that we can do during our own free time?
Four. Know when to say no. Sometimes our friend will want to grab late night or go out on a Thursday night. You have a big assignment due and you also have a 9 a.m. class the next day. We love college because we get to learn, but also, be around our best friends 24/7. We need to know when to have fun and when to do work. You hear the myth that you can either have two of the three: enough sleep, a social life, or good grades. However, what some fail to believe is that you can have all three. Balance is the key to college.
Five. Workout for at least 30 minutes a day. People believe you need to go to the Plex for two or more hours just to be fit. You do not need to workout for hours at a time. Rather, you can do a high intensity interval training, also known as HIIT, to have a very effective workout for thirty minutes. In addition to working out, eat right. I know at college it is very difficult to eat good foods, but as women in higher education, we need to eat foods that will give us brain power to learn.
I wish you luck this academic year and I challenge you all to succeed in all aspects of your college career.
Photo Sources
http://iif.co.nz/odds-ends/post-it-notes-surprisingly-persuasive
http://www.getadministrate.com/blog/how-to-encourage-student-participation/
http://dailyburn.com/life/fitness/hiit-workouts-for-beginners/
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