Welcome back, collegiettes! Are you ready to dive back in to stress, deadlines, and homework? After a nice, long winter break, it’s time to crack down and get back to work. Not feeling the motivation? Set a few goals for yourself and make yourself motivated!
Here are 7 examples of a few goals that every collegiate should set for themselves at the beginning of a new semester.
1. If you don’t like what you’re doing, make a change NOW.
It’s very important that you don’t settle into a major simply because someone else talked you into it, or because it’s easy for you. Anything worth having is going to be difficult, so don’t sell yourself short. If you don’t like your major, or it’s too easy for you, NOW is the time to make a change!
(Have no idea what you want to do with your life? Check out this John Green video.)
2. Get organized & stay ahead of the game.
Organization can honestly be pretty fun if you let it. Approach Pinterest! Pinterest has tons of great ideas on organization – for your dorm, for your work, for your every day life – and it will truly help you out a bunch. More organization equals less stress, so start organizing now! Buying a cute planner at the beginning of each semester makes me want to organize – a few of my favorite are Lilly Pulitzer, Kate Spade, and Jonathan Adler. Staying ahead in your classes is never a bad thing either. Always have your chapters read before you go to class, and if you can turn assignments in early on WebCourses, don’t hesitate.
3. Get some sleep.
It’s hard to balance a social life, good grades, and enough sleep. But with good organization skills, you can make it a lot easier! Not getting enough sleep is killing your immune system. And energy drinks and caffeine only make it worse. Getting 7 hours of sleep is essential, especially for college students. Just be smart about it. Wait until the weekend to go out with your friends. And if you’re up all night on the internet, I promise that it will still be there tomorrow!
4. Don’t be lazy. Stay active.
Sometimes it’s a little more difficult to stay healthy, especially while in college, but staying active serves as a good second. Staying active is simple, especially living on such a large campus. Take a walk with some friends from class around the campus. Visit the Rec & Wellness Center – there are plenty of fun (and free!) classes to take there that are enjoyable and help you stay active. If you live across campus from your class, walk there instead of driving. Even if the parking garage is right next to your building, you’ll feel much better after you take your walk. And you won’t have to deal with the pain of finding a parking spot.
5. Unplug for a few hours a day.
In today’s society, it’s so hard to not have your phone in your hand at all times. And if you aren’t texting, you’re tweeting, using IG, or maybe even using Pinterest for some of the hardcore pinners out there. But for at least an hour a day, put your phone away. Turn it off and leave it in your bag. You’ll be surprised at how many more people will approach you and start a conversation with you when you’re not glaring at a microscopic screen in front of you. Read a book, write a little, maybe do your homework (there’s an idea!), and stay off of social media for a while – maybe even try going a whole day without it. Social media has a tendency to rot your brain, and you’ll find a much more productive day ahead of you without it!
6. Get more involved!
There is no excuse to not be involved at UCF. With so many opportunities, events, and organizations, it’s hard to not be involved. But you can never be too involved. Rush into a sorority, join a club that interests you, start your own club! You never know what kind of impact you’ll make. Visit the Office of Student Involvement & learn how you can get involved on campus today!
7. Finally, stay positive at all times & ignore the negative feedback.
UCF is a great place, but sometimes it can be slightly overwhelming, especially as a freshman. The homework, the social aspect, campus life – everything about college is so much different than high school, but having a negative attitude is not going to make your experience any better! Stay positive about college, and don’t give up because it’s a little difficult at first! Put yourself out there and get out of your comfort zone. Make friends, work hard toward your major, and most importantly, never give up. Don’t ever let anyone give you negative feedback about college. Prove to everyone that you know you can and will succeed, and as Mac Miller would say, get that paper and smile for all them haters.