Welcome back to school! Now that all the hustle and bustle of unpacking and settling in is over, the real stress begins. Classes, homework, studying, and the omnipresent GPA anxiety is here, and it isn’t leaving anytime soon. So, how do you manage all your classes, complete all your homework, study effectively, and maintain a beautiful GPA?
- Use a Planner!
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Whether this be a physical, paper planner, your favorite app, Google Calendar, or a mix of several of them. For me personally, I live by my Google Calendar and keep all my assignments in a very stylish planner. If the event isn’t on my calendar, odds are I won’t be there. Picking out a planner is a very important decision. Try to find one that is aesthetically pleasing to you, and it will make using it more enjoyable and less stressful.
- Time Management: The Hardest and Most Necessary Skill.
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My freshman year I put off all of my homework until late into the night and ended up going to sleep close to two a.m. most days. Needless to say, this didn’t work out very well, and while I was still maintaining good grades, I was too exhausted to be proud of the grades I was working so hard for. The first step is knowing yourself. Are you a fast reader, good at skimming? Do essays take you hours or are they a breeze? Is math your friend or foe? Once you discover how long different assignments will take you, you can plan your time accordingly and have the correct amount of time set aside for the amount of homework you have. The second step is learning to keep that homework time sacred, being sure not to schedule over it or waste time procrastinating.
- Procrastination Station is Not The Place To Be.
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Procrastination and time management go hand in hand, but there are things you can do to decrease your procrastination and use your managed time effectively. If you find yourself scrolling through Instagram instead of reading your history textbook, set a timer. It’s unreasonable to expect yourself to read for an hour straight (unless you can, then go you!), so give yourself breaks! To make sure a short reading break doesn’t turn into a two hour VSCO session, set a timer on your phone for 10 minutes. Stand up, walk around, take your mind off of your work, but when the timer goes off get right back to work. This will help you stay on track and get your work done!
- I Live in Lists.
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For some, including myself, making lists can be incredibly helpful because then you can cross things off!!! Crossing something off of a to-do list, I think, is arguable one of the best and most motivating feelings in the world. Lists let you know what you still need to do, but more importantly, all that you have already accomplished. On those really hard days when you feel like you can’t get anything done, add basic tasks to your list (brush my teeth, get dressed, pack my backpack, eat lunch, etc.). It makes busy days feel less like an endless stream of tasks, and more like countless opportunities to be productive.
- Self-care, Self-care, Self-care.
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One of my favorite quotes is by Katie Reed, is “Self-care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you.” You are worth more than sleepless nights and missed meals. By pushing yourself too hard, you could end up bringing your grades down. Without a clear mind and a healthy body, all the work necessary to get the grades of your dreams becomes so much more difficult. Trying to keep a usual bedtime gives you more energy when you wake up, and making time to do things you enjoy makes it easier to focus when it’s time to get work done.
Everyone has their own learning style, and by extension, their own studying and working style. These are just a few tips, try them out, and come up with your own ideal plan to get the grades you want. Remember, at the end of the day, your GPA is just a number, it does not define you. Do your best, but never doubt that you are enough, regardless of what grades you get.