Doing well is a goal that almost any successful (or soon to be successful) student’s mind at the beginning of each new semester.Now that this semester has started and everyone is settling into their new routines thoughts of last semester’s academic struggle-bus are haunting me. New semester new study habits. So here are some ways to kill it this semester:
1. Do not procrastinate
Okay, okay so I may be guilty of procrastinating more than I should. But honestly it only gets worse if you keep it up. Nip procrastination in the butt by doing your work in chunks well in advance so you aren’t rushing at the last minute. Your grades and your mental health will thank you. Nothing is more stressful than having that constant looming feeling that you forgot to do something. No one likes thinking that they might have forgotten to do an assignment because maybe they watched one (or five) too many episodes of their latest binge on Netflix.
2. Set goals for yourself
Honestly, it’s so much easier to push yourself to do well when you have a goal to reach. Maybe even set goals with your friend group so you can hold each other accountable. Plus it’s always an amazing feeling when you achieve your goals, or even better: when you surpass them!
3. Buy a planner
Oh gosh, my life would be an absolute train wreck without my planner. It’s my life-line. Between sorority events, exams, my two jobs, and writing for Her Campus my life gets a little hectic sometimes. But I never go anywhere without my planner. My personal favorites are ban.do and Lilly Pulitzer. I find it more motivating to have a planner that is fun and colorful that makes me want to pull it out and use. *hint* plan out your week on Sunday night! It takes some stress off of worrying what you have due and when.
4. Study your notes after class
This is probably the hardest task for me to achieve. I always want to nap after class but I know that if you study the material you learned within 24 hours of learning it, you will retain the information better come exam time. Whether it’s rewriting your notes or just reading them over, it’s bound to benefit you in the long run! Check out an article about pretty notes. I mean, who wouldn’t want to look at these all day?
5. Put your phone down
Distractions are everywhere. Find a quiet space, I always go somewhere that I feel like I’ll be judged at for not doing my work and being on my phone instead (even though that’s not actually the case). I always end up staying more focused when I put myself in that situation.
Sometimes I feel confident in my ability to do these things, and other times I really slack off. Midterms are coming up and this is the time of year that some students start to panic, others wait until finals week to panic but hopefully these tips will encourage you to get a jump start on being more productive and having the best semester yet!