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Tips to Stay on Track This Semester

Carissa Ray Student Contributor, Purdue University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Purdue chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

With just two weeks into the semester, it can feel as if everything is out your control. Trust me, with everything in full swing, it is easy to feel overwhelmed about balancing classwork, extracurriculars, and jobs. However, I have a few tips to keep you on track this semester!

  • Invest in a planner.

This may seem silly but trust me, a planner can be a life saver. As soon as you get this planner, put in all exam and quiz dates. After, put in all of the dates of your meetings for academics and extracurriculars. This way, all of your dates are in one place. You will be able to plan out your studying if you can see when everything is happening. Bonus if you put in the dates for when all of your homework and project assignments are due!

  • Make daily lists.

Each day when you are getting ready for the day, make a list of everything that you need to accomplish that day. If you do this at the beginning of the day, you are aware of what you need to get done and have the whole day to work on those tasks. You have a fresh brain when you wake up and are able to think of what you need to do. To add on, if you write it all down, it will be easier to recall later when you may forget what you needed to do.

  • Stay on top of your emails!!!

It can be so easy to neglect your email inbox and let the emails pile up. However, if you do that, it will be harder later on to go through all of those emails. Make sure to check your email at least once a day and respond to any emails in need of action. If you stay on top of those emails, you will most likely be less stressed when you visit your inbox later. To add on, your professors may alert you of changed deadlines or new assignments via email.

  • Take time to decompress.

While it is easy to get in the go, go, go attitude, you also need to take some time to yourself to decompress occasionally. If you neglect you-time, it will be easier to burn out and start falling behind again in the semester. To be the best student you can be and to give it your all, you need to wind down and start over with a fresh brain when the next week starts.

I hope that some of these tips will help you tackle this semester and stay on track with everything!

Carissa Ray is the president of the Purdue Chapter of Her Campus. Last year she held the position of senior editor. She also writes articles for the chapter and typically writes entertainment pieces. She has been a member of the chapter since January of 2023!
Carissa is currently a senior studying at Purdue University. She is majoring in Psychological Sciences with minors in Spanish and Forensic Sciences. Aside from Her Campus, Carissa is also on the board of the Purdue Chapter of Omicron Delta Kappa, a leadership honors society. She was recently elected as the president for the 2024-25 academic year. In the future, she hopes to become a Forensic Psychologist and potentially work for the FBI.
When she is not busy with school, Carissa is a huge book nerd and loves to read anything with mystery, romance, or fantasy. She also loves dancing and is part of the Purdue Higher Ground Dance Company. She enjoys jazz, hip hop, and theater dance styles. Finally, if she has any extra time, she is a TV buff and enjoys binging TV shows like Modern Family, The Vampire Diaries, or Supernatural.