As much I hate to admit it, winter break is over, which means that we must face another round of new professors, classes, and breakdowns. If you are like me, whenever a new semester rolls around procrastination starts on basically the first day of classes. I always seem to push things away and assume that the first two weeks don’t matter, and I don’t have to really start putting effort in until after that point. This is completely the wrong way to look at the upcoming semester and will only hurt you in the long run. It is much more productive to get a game plan at the beginning and have everything in line, so when your classes start getting more involved you are prepared.
- Buy a Planner!
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The most important thing that I always carry with me is, without a doubt, my planner. Truly, I don’t think I could function without it. The first thing I do at the start of every semester is take every syllabus that I am given in the first week of classes and write down every important date in my planner. I include midterm exam dates, due dates for homework, etc. Any important date in each of your classes should be written down so that you never put yourself in the position of forgetting when something is due or getting disorganized with various due dates from several classes.
- Introduce yourself!
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Another smart thing to do at the beginning of the semester, is introduce yourself to your professors! I know it can be daunting and intimidating to walk up to some professors, but it will be very beneficial when you need something from them later in the semester. For example, if you need extra clarification on a topic, a letter of recommendation for an internship, or if you are trying to convince them to round your 89 to a 90. If they know your name and face, this will go ten times smoother than if they hardly recognize you and barely know who you are.
- Stay ahead on assignments!
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I don’t want to sound hypocritical with this next tip, because I am very guilty of not doing this, but it is so important to stay on top of homework and assignments! If you start off the beginning of the semester finishing homework when it’s assigned, you will be so much less stressed than if you were to wait 30 minutes before it’s due. Doing assignments early also opens a ton of time in your schedule to make time for studying for other classes or to take a break and go out with your friends.
- Keep a healthy schedule!
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In order to avoid that mid-semester burn out that we all experience, start yourself on a healthy schedule now before that happens. Try to find a good balance for everything you have going on. Make sure you are getting plenty of sleep and take breaks from studying to give your brain a rest. As important as it is to do good in your classes, it is also very important to make sure you are healthy and taken care of. It will only hurt you later if you aren’t getting a lot of sleep and not giving yourself time to wind down. Also, make sure you eat breakfast! It’s important!
As scary as a new semester can be, it’s important to have a plan and put it in action now! You can do it!