Ready or not, summer is officially coming to a close and a new school year is about to begin. The start of a new semester can feel pretty hectic, and it’s important to take time to breathe and get yourself back into a routine. Keeping your stress levels low and motivation high are key parts of having a fun and successful semester. Here are some tips to help get you to have your best year yet!
- Stay Organized
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Organization. This can be pretty difficult for some(myself included), but it’s such a vital part of being successful in your work! A clean room and workspace can make all the difference for productive nights of studying and plowing through different assignments. Making sure your planner and notebooks are well organized will make your life SO much easier. Learning to manage your time effectively can be a challenge, but will help you stay on top of anything and everything!
- Don’t Stress!
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This is easier said than done. A new schedule, professors, and set of commitments can be overwhelming, but trust that you have things under control! Acknowledge your worth and capability, and trust that you are where you’re supposed to be. If there’s a certain class or club that feels like it may not be worth the extra stress and effort, it’s more than okay to take a step back! Challenging yourself is important, but doing what’s best for you should always be a priority.
- Get some cute new school supplies
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There’s really nothing quite like busting out those new colorful highlighters you bought at Target on your first day of classes. Getting a new notebook, planner, and some gorgeous gel pens can be a perfect way to get you extra ~jazzed~ about the new school year.
- Have an Open Mind
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It’s easy to feed into negative things you’ve heard about certain professors or classes, but don’t let others influence your opinions too much. At times it’s good to proceed with caution, but making your own opinions is always the better way to go. Approaching a new situation with negativity is only going to set you up for failure. Going into a new school year with an open mind opens you up to a bunch of exciting opportunities all around!
- Try to Maintain a Consistent Sleep Schedule
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Please. Sleep. All-nighters might seem like the best way to pack in extra hours of studying and essay finalizing, but trust me; it’s not. You’ll never do your best work when you’re running on next to no sleep. Use your time during the day to be productive and avoid procrastinating to ensure that you can get as much ~beauty sleep~ as possible. You’ll feel 1000x better and be ready to take on (almost) any challenge.
- Don’t Overcommit Yourself
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Involvement in clubs and other university organizations is an essential part of your college experience. As a new year comes around, you might be eager to dive headfirst into every club and activity you can. It’s great to be involved, but trying to balance tons of clubs, classes, assignments, work, and other social events can cause a lot of unnecessary stress. Being busy is a great thing, but don’t burn yourself out. If you feel like you’re drowning with all of your outside commitments, it’s totally fine to prioritize other things in your life(see #2).
- Make Time for Self Care
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You should prioritize homework and studying, but if you’re starting to feel burnt out, take some time to relax! Being driven and wanting to work hard is great, but if you push yourself too hard too fast, you might have a hard time staying consistently motivated throughout the year. Take little breaks to grab some coffee or tea! Do a facemask! Browse twitter to give yourself time to decompress, and then get back on that grind. Whatever works best for you to breathe between study sessions!
Hopefully, you’re feeling a little more prepared to have a great new school year. A new year is exciting, and you can never go wrong with a fresh start. Stay focused and take care of yourself, and you’re sure to be successful!