Welcome back to campus, Panthers! This return marks the beginning of the notorious syllabus week for all undergraduate college students, a time that’s marketed to be freeing, exciting and relaxing. That illusionary image is typically quickly squashed by eager professors who insist on starting content on the first day of class. In recent years it seems like the notable syllabus week has dwindled and dwindled, so read along for some tips on how to get focused and back into school mode. These tips focus on motivation but also general well-being and balance that I believe everyone should implement. They allowed me to become a better student and person last semester. Enjoy!
- Outline Goals for the semester
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Outlining goals can be very effective in helping them come to fruition. Every semester I take the time to write down eight to ten goals that I have for the semester. These goals can range from bigger goals like, “I want to earn a 3.5 this semester” or “prioritize school work during the week.” However, they can also be smaller goals like, “take at least a half hour each day to read a book for enjoyment” or “make more time for cooking.” Writing these goals down can help you visualize them better. I choose to write my goals down in a journal so that I am able to turn the page and see them whenever I need a little extra motivation to stay on task.
- create a schedule
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Creating a schedule allows me to keep myself in check with study times and extracurricular work. Creating distinct times to complete these tasks allows me to efficiently complete all necessary work from Monday to Friday. Keeping this schedule allows me to decompress during the weekends, limiting burnout. By doing this I am able to focus for shorter, more productive periods of time. I use Google Calendar to organize my schedule with everything from class times, syllabi dates and even personal meetings and appointments.
- Fuel Your Body
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While focusing is important to creating a good product, it is not possible without fueling your body. This refers to both sleeping and eating. When having an especially busy week, having adequate sleep and eating balanced meals drastically changes my productivity and mood. While getting into the focused mindset is important, it won’t last long if you don’t take the time to take care of yourself.
- surround yourself with positive influence
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Creating a positive mindset is also important to maintain a consistent focus while minimizing feelings of self-doubt and burnout. This could be by surrounding yourself with good friends who add light to your life or even by implementing small messages of affirmation. I understand that it is not always easy to think of positive affirmations for yourself, so you can look to other applications that generate them for you! I downloaded an affirmation app that places widgets on my home screen. This allows me to see a new affirmation every time I open my phone, helping to create an enduring positive mindset. These smaller things can add together and positively affect your life!
- Make time for yourself
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While making time for yourself can be challenging, it is essential while in a high-stress environment. As I mentioned prior, the focus that many students are looking to gain cannot be achieved without some type of balance. By implementing time for yourself, the demand that comes with grinding for goals and schedules can be offset, allowing you to have a breather. By creating this break, your focus can come in short productive bursts, preventing large-scale burnout and increasing motivation. This balance helped me so much last semester that I received the best grades that I have gotten in all of college. I truly believe that implementing this made me a better student and drastically improved my relationship with stress.