Transitioning from summer break to the start of school can sometimes be a little difficult for everyone. I, myself, have found that I need to take the time to get into the right headspace to get organized for school.
The process of disciplining myself to get into the school routine after a summer with no school usually begins about a week before school starts. I have three simple and effective tips for getting into my school routine.
The first thing I’ll do is buy a travel calendar. This way, I can lay out all of my due dates, exam times, work shifts, meetings, and hangouts all in one space. This lays out a study template for me, which then allows me to allocate studying which subjects to what days. Having everything displayed out in front of me like this reduces the risk of me forgetting any deadlines. Having a travel calendar on my phone does help for last minute changes, but I’ve grown to the idea of having a written calendar, which allows me to also put important docs in the book.
The next task on my list is to begin reading ahead for my classes. If I am able to get ahead on reading (either by looking at the online notes, the assigned readings or the textbook) then it helps me not only get a better understanding of the subject early on, but also gets me into study mode. Getting an early start gives me more motivation to get through the semester without slacking on my readings.
The last recommendation on my list is to reset my sleeping schedule. During the summer, I get up to 8 hours of sleep a night, but during the school year I’m lucky if I get 6. After 4 months of sleeping for 8 hours every night, my body becomes used to the long shut-eye sessions, so it’s important that I start adjusting my sleep schedule about 2-3 weeks before the start of school by reducing the number of hours to 6, or even 5 a night. Sleeping and waking up earlier is also a critical part of this step, as sleeping later can be detrimental to my sleep schedule during the semester. Fixing my sleep schedule also helps with my concentration and establishment in setting my new routine, which I’ll have to endure for the next 8 months.
These 3 tips helped me so much in the past 3, now 4, years of my undergrad, and I hope they work out for whoever tries them out! Good luck to you all this semester!