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Hannah Moskowitz
Wellness > Mental Health

How to Refresh and Start the Semester Off Strong

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Harvard chapter.

Whether this is our second semester in college or the last, we could all use a little refresher before we start again. Find some helpful tips below to actually feel good (maybe) about going back to school.

Redecorate

It may still be winter, but a little spring cleaning can go a long way. Try hanging up new lights, adding new photos to your walls, and maybe an art piece or two. My roommate and I have a wall of origami butterflies, and seeing it makes me – at least a tiny bit – happier).

Organize

Break out the planner, write down your schedule, and see where you have free time for self-care, exercise, and meetups with friends. This non-academic side of school is just as important to your health and sanity, so getting organized before classes really make the difference.

Try Something New

Join a new club, switch up your exercise routine, try a hackathon … Big or small, having something new and different to look forward to can give you extra motivation to get through your day.

Goal-Setting and Rewards

Set a few goals for yourself. Do you want to learn a new language? Have all of your grades above a B-? Act in this semester’s major play? Study for two hours every day? Whatever it is, set your goal, and keep track of the progress you’ve made towards it. Then, in the end, give yourself a reward. For instance, I might decide to give myself a spa day and binge my favorite shows, do a mini shopping spree or plan a week-long vacation somewhere with my friends at the end of the semester.

I hope these tips help you have your best semester yet!

Jamie is a sophomore at Harvard studying Bioengineering, S.B. with a secondary in Computer Science. She is on the board of Harvard's Society of Women Engineers and can often be found dancing on campus, listening to music, working out, or honing her entrepreneurial skills at workshops at the Harvard iLab or in Boston.
I am a senior at Harvard College studying Applied Mathematics with a specialization in Economics, and I am planning on getting a language citation in Spanish. I am currently a co-president and campus correspondent of Harvard's chapter of Her Campus! I am also a committee chair of a student organization that works with University Health Services called HealthPALs (Peer Advisors and Liaisons). Additionally, I am a member and co-director of service in OAASIS (Organization of Asian American Sisters in Service). Apart from that, I spend a lot of my time as a Learning Lab Undergraduate Fellow at the Harvard Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. I am also the co-founder of a project at the Office of Diversity of Inclusion at Harvard. I am super passionate about math, health, and higher education! In my free time I love to work out, experiment with makeup and fashion, visit museums, and try new foods!