Hello, and welcome to ‘How To Survive The Semester 101.’ It’s great to have you here! So, the semester has officially begun. (Cue the Jaws soundtrack.) Ominous? Am I right? Well, let’s focus on the positives. Regardless, you will need a guide to help you survive these next few months. By following this sixteen-step-how-to-guide you will (hopefully) lessen the blow of school starting, and all around make the transition a little easier.
Step One: Cry.
Step Two: Cry some more.
Step Three: Stop crying.
Pick yourself up. You are a strong, confident, and mostly independent woman. You can do this.
Step Four: Accept that this IS happening.
The summer is over. Gone are the days of lounging by the beach. Gone are the late nights spent stargazing… (Am I the only one who has had the fantasy of a lying next to a hunk of a man in the middle of a big, open field under a starry sky with the full moon illuminating everything in sight? Hand in hand we would breathe in the warm, midnight air…) I got distracted. I apologize. Anyways! So, school is starting. The sooner you accept it, the better you can start to prepare.
Step Five: Be Resourceful
Do you know where your supplies are from spring? (If you took summer classes, God bless your soul. But I also expect a little more from you in this regard. We’ll use you for guidance.) Let me be a tad more specific here – do you know where you backpack is? What about your pencil case? Student card? Highlighters? (Contents that were supposed to be INSIDE said pencil case.) I really hope that you answered yes (or nodded) to at least one of these. If not, get your life together.
Step Six: Find Your Backpack
Find your backpack because that shit is not cheap. But like, for sure invest in a new pencil case, pens, pencils, etc.
Step Seven: Clean Your Room
I know what you’re thinking – what does cleaning your room have anything to do with surviving this semester? Well, young padawans, let me tell you. For all those disorganized, somewhat messy people (like me) you don’t realize how much a clean room can impact not only your mood, but also your overall organization and wardrobe. Seriously! By cleaning your room, not only will it make you feel better, but you’ll also find a whole array of clothes you either never knew you had, forgot existed, or were lost to you forever.
Step Eight: Find Comfortable Pants
When I say pants, I’m referring to either sweats, yoga pants, jeggings, or a nice pair of workout pants. Regardless, the key word here is comfy. By this point, you’ve probably already identified your pants of choice. Put that pair aside, you’ll need it come week two.
There is nothing worse than having a paper due in less than 12 hours, your sleep deprived, hungry, and probably on your period, but you also have the added stress of a tight pair of jeans digging into your waste. Not cool. So, be comfortable. Bring your snuggie even! People will not judge you (trust me), instead, they will IDOLIZE you.
Step Nine: Find You Bus Pass (And Don’t Lose It)
In collage, your bus pass is pretty much your life. So don’t lose it! A missing bus pass come exam time is never fun, and serves as an added stressor and no one has the time to deal with that.
Step Ten: Be Optimistic
If you’re excited for this semester… great! You can skip to Step Eleven, congratulations. However, if you’re apprehensive, stressed, or even a little sad for the start of this semester, snap out of it! The attitude you project onto situations and others will completely alter the course of your actions and theirs. So, with that being said, try your best to be optimistic.
Step Eleven: Make Time For Yourself
You will go utterly insane if you try to please everyone too. Remember that you are only one person, and there is only so much you can do. At the end of the day, relish in your collage experience while knowing when to step back and take some space to breath.
Step Twelve: Keep Your Friends Close
Making a friend, or two, in classes will prove to make a world of a difference. My first year, I was painfully shy. I sat at the very back of class, kept my head down, and prayed that no one would talk or look at me. Until one day, I made a friend!
Having friends, or even a familiar face in classes will allow you to confide in someone who is not your mother. Not only do you have a peer tutor (let’s hope your friends are smart), but you also have a self-certified comrade who you can make fun of people with (respectfully, of course.)
Step Thirteen: Try Not To Procrastinate
Note my use of the word “try”. I know the sound of a television, or the gentle glow of light illuminating from your phone can be enticing, but stay strong! Getting a head of the game will help you more in the long run, than an episode (or two) of ‘Stranger Things’ ever will. Not only will you get better grades as a result, but you will also be less stressed overall.
Step Fourteen: Exercise
Exercise… even a little. Exercise helps clear your mind of unwanted thoughts, supplies some much needed energy, and will all around make you feel like a stronger, better, more confident you. I recommend eating an apple a day and at least 30 minutes of physical activity. I know it’s easier said than done when the element of time comes into play, but even taking the stairs instead of the escalator can make a difference. Just remember, do what you can, know your limit and always listen to your body.
Step Fifteen: Get Enough Sleep
Sleep is so important. The night before an exam, I’ll justify going to bed a couple hours early instead of studying just fine. In fact, sleep is just as important as the actual studying, itself. Studies have shown that the information you study will actually be retained better if you get a good night’s rest the night before, and you will actually recall it better thereafter, during the exam.
Step Sixteen: Have Fun
Go to a few pub nights, or even host a couple private ones of your own with your besties. Letting off steam always helps relieve stress and built up pressure. And remember, always make time for your hobbies. (If drinking is not one of your hobbies – I don’t think we can be friends. Just kidding, I have the upmost respect for you, teach me your ways Obi-Wan.)
So, that should just about do it. Other than some obvious actual studying, writing, and motivational tips… but like, now you’ll look great in your snuggie. So…
If there’s one thing I would like you to take away from this sixteen-step-how-to-guide on how to survive the semester, it’s to keep your head up (or keep it up). Now, go kick some collage ass my fellow collegiates. You’re all beautiful, and I wish you all the best this semester. Have fun, eat apples, and find your highlighters.