Welcome back to school everyone! I hope everyone’s ready to kick some 2nd semester booty. If you aren’t, here are some tips of how to deal with those post-break blues.
Commit to using your planner
Although it can seem tedious and boring, scheduling everything you need to do is really helpful in school. Crossing the stuff you have done off your list can make you feel accomplished and it makes sure you aren’t forgetting anything important. To make your planner fun add little notes to yourself, or congratulate yourself on a productive week. Sometimes you can be your biggest fan!
Get involved on campus
Since 2nd semester isn’t the start to the new school year, it can feel like you are going back to the same things you just did for 4 months. The trick to meeting new people and making every day feel like a fresh start is to continue to get involved. Clubs usually accept members at the beginning of each semester so now is a great time to join the club you wanted to join last semester!
Re-establish roommate rules
Being at home is nice because parents often help with laundry and cleaning, at school it’s your job. Make sure you and your roommates go over the expectations of everyone while living together. Living in a clean and happy environment can be the key to a great semester.
Exercise
It may sound cliché but working out can really lift your mood. January is dark, cold and often depressing but getting your body moving can brighten your spirits and make you feel better. If you find motivation to work out challenging, write a time in your planner (see tip #1) that will be your workout time. If it is scheduled you are more likely to feel committed to doing it and if you write down a reward you will give yourself after, like an extra hour of Netflix, you are even more likely to follow through.
Make new friends
With new classes comes the opportunity to meet new people. If you feel stuck hanging out with the same people you did first semester, ask some new people to get dinner with you. There are always more people to get to know.
Take time for yourself
My final piece of advice is to make time to be alone. College can be overwhelming and it can feel like you never have down time. Ask your roommates when they have class and schedule some time to be alone, whether that be in your room, somewhere on campus, or in Providence somewhere. I am a strong advocate of solo meals so don’t be afraid to get breakfast by yourself and just listen to some music, your friends will understand that we all need our space sometimes.
Cover photo: sportsrecruits.com