Can you believe that we are more than halfway through the semester? Man, time flies by so fast that you can’t even keep track of everything that’s happening around you. However, sometimes it’s important to step back and understand your reality because you can create new solutions to help you solve your problems. Procrastination, for example, has been one of my downfalls this semester because I have so many different things going on in my life: school, work, teaching, and extracurricular activities. These components of my life are constantly piling my schedule to the point where I’m mentally drained, so it’s hard for me to stay focused sometimes. What about you? How do you fight against procrastination?
Be Accountable
This is one of the hardest things for people to do because owning up to your downfalls in life can be tricky. I’ve been in several positions where I was allowing certain things to happen to me just so I can make it through the day, instead of saying “I’m not comfortable” or “I’m not satisfied”. When it comes to college life, we where many hats that requires different roles for us to play, and as a result, we forget to prioritize the necessary things in our lives. It is hard to study all the time, but you have to if you don’t want to fail the class. Try setting SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely) goals to keep you accountable. If you have a big project or a research paper due in 3 weeks, how can you make time in your schedule to plan out the steps to a successful outcome? Who can reach out to help you along this journey?
Create a schedule
There are so many apps and techniques designed to help people create flexible schedules. One of my favorite websites is Free College Schedule Maker because you can add events, classes, or appointments to this template, and it allows you to add important information like times and addresses. If you don’t want to use this website, you can also create you own schedule with google sheets.
Ask for Help
If you’re trying every trick in the book and you’re still not getting the desired outcome, reach out to people in your network to help you with whatever is you’re struggling with. Make study groups with some of your classmates because you can review the content with them. Also, make friends with your proffesor at the beginning of the semester, so that they can get a chance to understand you aside from school. Some professors might curve your grade or give you advice on how to pass the class.
work smarter not harder
If there’s one thing I’ve learned this year is that college is a business. “It’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know”! Everyone might have a subjective standpoint on that quote, but let’s look at through a positive lens. Universities and colleges can’t function with out money, which is a scare factor for most people. With all of the technological connections and resources, researching different ways to pay for tuition is highly recommended. Find professors, directors, and doctors on your campus who are successful and ask them questions that can help you navigate through your college journey. When it comes to career opportunities, go to your student involvement centers to find out about programs that offer scholarships and internships to help you get ahead start on your career.
I hope this advice helps you all in life and in college!