Adjusting full time to college can be a major struggle: learning the right ways to to study, becoming independent and trying new things. We have our ups and downs. Sometimes our downs get the best of us, causing our grades and mental health to suffer. Before you are drowning in homework, here are a few tips to avoid a major L this semester.
1. After a chaotic schedule, plan time to hangout with your friends and give your mind a break.
You need a chance to clear your head and enjoy the social aspects of college. Having a healthy, balanced schedule is more important than you realize.
2. Put up motivational quotes.
When it’s 3am and you’ve been studying non-stop on the edge of a breakdown, you need motivational quotes to give you that final push. Don’t put up any random quote, but quotes that speak to you and remind you of your purpose. It’s cheesy, but we should take what we can get.
3. Set realistic goals.
At the beginning of the semester plan what you want to accomplish and motivate yourself to do these things. Think about why you want what you want, and how you will achieve these short-term and long-term goals.
4. Write sh*t down in a planner.
If there’s anything I have learned about college, it’s that there are way too many deadlines and homework assignments to keep track of in your head. Make lists, organize yourself with a planner, and create a schedule.
5. Find a playlist for everything (studying, working out, relaxing).
I find that having separate playlists for separate tasks help me focus more. It’s like training your mind, and having something to help you concentrate. When I study I listen to mostly instrumental or songs that are slow. I also try to find a playlist where I don’t know the words to, so I can’t sing along and get distracted. On the other hand, I listen to pop or rap music when I work out.
6. Set Alarms! Multiple Alarms!
This was my biggest issue. If you find yourself saying “just a half hour power nap”, and then waking up at 4am only to find out you’ve been sleeping for 6 hours, there’s a problem here. Don’t trust yourself to wake up after 1 alarm. If you’re like me, you turn off your one and only alarm while you’re half asleep. If you have work to get done, do it first and then sleep. Being lazy and wanting to nap is awesome short term, but you should be studying more than you find yourself sleeping.
7. Add yourself to class GroupMe chats.
Classes like Bio 203 or Che 322 are beneficial when you need help with problems, advice, need to rant, or have random questions about the course. Everyone is in the same boat as you so its like one big study group 24/7.
8. Drink water!
You just feel better and concentrate more when you drink water. Lots of it! Buy a cute water bottle if it will motivate you to drink more water.
9. Seriously limit your phone time.
A few minutes here and there quickly adds up. When I have a major test to study for, deleting the Instagram app off of my phone for a couple of hours makes a big difference.
10. Believe in yourself and love what you are learning.
This is essential to succeeding in anything you do. If you love what you learn, it will be so much easier to absorb information and apply it elsewhere.
Face the fact that you are actually going to have to study at some point (I know, I’m sorry) If you want good grades, you have to put the work in.
College is hard. It’s so easy to fall into a deep pit of laziness and procrastination. But college is also manageable if you have the right resources and motivation. Taking these suggestions and finding your own personal strategies that work for you will help you succeed through this semester without suffering a major L.
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