The beginning of spring semester can tend to feel particularly daunting, with the looming stress of internships, summer plans or graduation. It is easy to feel overwhelmed or burnt out, still recovering from fall semester with only a mere three weeks to rest.
However, there are simple things that you can do to help. Here are my four best tips to boost productivity, stay organized and overall accomplish your goals this spring and finish your school year strong.
Checklists
At the very beginning of my college career, especially with the element of online school, I was overwhelmed trying to keep track of everything that I had to do each day. This is when I started creating lists of not only my assignments, but daily checklists to keep me on track each day.
These checklists are not only school related items, but anything and everything that I wanted to accomplish every day. This allowed me to make time for myself and fit in all of the things necessary to complete.
I still make daily checklists to this day and it has made me more organized and productive. As an added bonus, it is admittedly satisfying to sit down every Sunday and plan out my daily checklists for the week. This simple activity helps to ease my stress and feel a little less overwhelmed about the week.
Checklists eliminate the ability to say “I don’t have time, I’ll do it tomorrow.” If you are trying to stop making up excuses this semester and get things done, checklists are a great place to start.
Utilizing Exercise
Everyone seems to preach the power of exercise in many shapes and forms. However, studies show that exercising strategically at certain points in your day can boost productivity and sharpness.
It can help with tasks such as if you have a load of homework to do, studying, memorizing or even taking a short walk right before taking a test can improve your brain substantially.
According to an article on this very topic from Deakin University, “‘Exercise helps release dopamine, which is like your motivation molecule to stay focused, more attentive,’ Assoc. Prof. Fraser says. ‘You also get endorphins, like a runner’s high… and things like serotonin, which is your feel-good hormone.’”
This is a technique that I have used since my freshman year of college, and found that it helps to stay calm, and increase my productivity and performance. Not only before exams, but if I ever feel particularly stuck on my homework, I go to the gym and when I return I am attentive and always get my work done.
Notion
For someone who loves the idea of a planner, I have never been able to keep up with using a physical book. Through this application that you can have on your computer, phone or tablet, you are able to customize your own digital planner.
My previous roommate introduced me to Notion, and I have never looked back. It truly is the best tool for organization that I have ever used, and it helps me to stay on task, budget, and never miss an assignment.
Personally, I have my settings laid out to show my daily checklists, assignments for each class and a calendar of each month. You would be shocked the power of a simple planner can help you stick to a schedule, stay organized and complete your goals.
My favorite quote
In listening to one of my favorite podcasts on one of the very first few days of returning to campus this January, I heard a quote that particularly resonated with me.
Ava Jules of the “On My Mind” podcast was discussing 2023, stated the quote, “If you don’t ask, the answer is always no.” As someone who has a constant fear of consequences and putting herself out there, this quote was truly eye opening.
“If you don’t ask, the answer is always no”
Fear tends to hold me back; during my freshman year I wouldn’t go to club meetings or put myself out there in any way out of pure social anxiety and fear. Right then and there as I walked Penn State’s campus a few weeks ago, I decided that this quote would be my new mantra.
Similar to the quote, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take,” I truly cringe thinking about how many opportunities I could have missed from not asking or putting myself out there over the past few years. This mantra is particularly important for those who are thinking about applying to jobs, internships, executive positions, or any organization of the sort.
You will never know what would have happened if you don’t ask or try, so don’t let fear hold you back.
This is precisely how goals are reached: by staying organized, putting in the work and simply deciding this is the year you are going to get things done.
Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, you never know what opportunities will come of it!