This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at OSU chapter.
For many people, the second semester of school is their toughest. Here are four great tips to not feel overwhelmed and to get organized!
1. Keep a planner
If you are a creative person or a person that likes color, a planner just might be the thing for you. There are many types of planners depending on how hectic your average schedule is and what you need help remembering. If you’re like me and you are taking the maximum or over the maximum credits, it can be really easy to forget what’s due everyday.
Depending on the type of planner you get, you can even get down to the nitty gritty details that happen every hour. For most people, a planner that gives you a monthly calender, a place to put notes, and divides every day of the week by a few lines will suffice. You can also buy personal stickers for your planner which allows you to get creative without using various colored pens and highlighters, even though they can be just as fun!
2. Set your own deadlines
One thing that has helped me this semester is making deadlines before the actual ones that my teachers gave. It allows me to pace myself in a way that is both beneficial for my mental health and my school work. It also helps me be at ease and proud of the work I’ve done for that class! I would also suggest keeping your syllabis close to you; a lot of the times, your teachers will give you the dates of various homeworks, tests or any other big projects/discussion. This allows you to keep your cool and not be blindsided or frantic when something big pops up in your class.
3. Use your phone
A great way to achieve these deadlines and making sure you get your work done is through your phone. With great apps such as calendar, notes and reminders, your iPhone can become the digital planner that helps you save paper and reminds you when something is due automatically. If your planner doesn’t have a section where you can write down your daily schedule hourly (or sometimes by 30 minute incriminates), your iPhone can definitely help with that as well!
4. It’s okay to take a step back
Even if you have done everything you can, school can still get pretty overwhelming sometimes. Especially when you add extracurricular activities in the mix. Sometimes you just have to take a minute or two to breath and watch netflix. Your health – physically, mentally and emotionally, should come first. Nobody wants you to be harmed or overwhelmed when it comes to school work. If need be, talk to your professors and tell them about your situation. There are also various resources around school to help you cope with stress and other issues!