The start of the new semester is always filled with renewed hope. A new chance to get straight A’s, a chance to meet new people, or simply a new schedule. Whatever you look forward most about a new semester, the key to doing well is creating routines and being organized. I will be sharing with you how I plan for a new semester along with some tips to help you have the best semester possible.
Choosing a planner
Before the semester starts a good way to get ahead on planning is to first and
foremost get a planner. The planner that works best for each person will be different. While planner shopping, keep in mind that there will most likely not be a planner that 100% meets all the requirements that you have. Instead, look for a planner that allows some room for you to customize it to your liking.
Below I’ve attached 2 different layouts that I’ve tried. One on the top is a day designer that I purchased from Target. The one below is a Happy Planner that I purchased from Michael’s.
I have my planner, now what?
Once you’ve purchased your planner, start filling in the important dates that you know off the top of your head. After you’ve received your syllabus from each class enter the due dates of major assignments, I.e test, quizzes, papers and exams in pencil in the monthly section.
You can then proceed to write daily assignments in the daily or weekly sections.
This semester I am trying something different. I entered all my daily assignments in the reminders app on my iPad which also syncs with my phone. This allows for more flexibility in case an assignment is changed.
Another option similar to this is to create a weekly spreadsheet of all the assignments that will be due on a particular week. You can then use this when planning out your days in your planner. I’ve attached a sample of how I will be using my weekly spreadsheet. A Google Sheets version is available for your use here .
Make Planning Time, Self Care time
After all your assignments are planned, it’s time to add the fun stuff. Scheduling time for both socializing and self-care is crucial to stay healthy and sane this semester. Each week plan one social thing and one self-care activity. Social things could range from FaceTime your friend at another college, getting lunch with someone on or off campus or you can have a fancy dinner or date. Self-care is up to you and should be tailored to whichever piece of you that you feel you’ve been neglecting. That could mean a 10-minute face mask (Face Mask Review), taking a nice bubble bath (bonus if you use a bath bomb), doing a quick workout, journaling or even just going for a walk. Whatever and however you decide to plan just remember to have fun and make it personal.