Wellness practices are beginning to be revealed on social media. Sunday resets, for instance, are a wellness trend in which people carve out time to complete the week’s chores to feel prepared and enthusiastic about the upcoming week. Watching these aesthetic videos has inspired me to brainstorm actions we can all perform to make the most of the spring semester. I aim to make this semester full of academic, personal and social productivity and prosperity. I have compiled a list of tasks to make this your best semester:
1. Set Goals
School can quickly become overwhelming, with countless assignments uploaded on Canvas, many large due dates and challenging exams. It is essential for me to set realistic goals for myself each semester to keep me motivated and direct my focus. According to a blog post from Harvard Extension School, there are five key characteristics of a goal that can help you. A strong goal should be flexible, harmonious or agreeable, approach-oriented, intrinsic and challenging. These traits are useful to keep in mind when determining what to set your mind to this semester. Goals can be a way to measure one’s progress, hold one accountable and improve performance. Reaching goals can improve one’s confidence since it is fulfilling and causes one to feel accomplished. I have already set my goals for this semester, and I am looking forward to the positive benefits of this mindful and doable task.
2. Organize Your Schoolwork
At the start of each semester, I cut out time to organize due dates for the semester to keep me on task and to make sure that I complete all my tasks. I have two ways that I organize my schoolwork. I have one document with the homework and assignments I should complete each day and another with all the large due dates for exams, projects and papers. When I am aware of what I need to complete each day, my stress levels lower, I can manage my time more wisely and I can feel confident at the end of the day that I have gotten everything done.
3. Plan Your Week
We have the same courses each week, which is why I like to set a routine. I know when I go to my sorority house to eat meals, when I should study, when I can have time to exercise and when I have time to socialize. When I know everything that I must complete during a week, I can prioritize what’s appropriate and stay on track. I also try to plan at least one thing each week to look forward to, such as a movie night with friends, a group workout, a hot girl walk around campus or a visit to a new restaurant. Balancing my week with school and fun helps me maintain a positive mindset and ambition to succeed.
4. Partake in Sunday (or any day) Resets
I know I keep mentioning the importance of routines, but having a day or a few hours dedicated to “resetting” your space can completely change your day and week. Reset activities can involve doing your laundry, washing your sheets, making your bed, organizing your clothes, cleaning your desk, putting random items away, going to the grocery store and running the annoying errands that you have been putting off throughout the week. Completing these occasionally boring tasks can help you start your week with a clear mind in a clutter-free, clean space.
5. Make a Connection in Each Class
Certain classes can become annoying and dreaded quickly. By establishing a connection in most of my classes with one other student, I feel more excited to go to class. This connection is someone I can ask questions to about course material and collaborate with on course tasks. It becomes super convenient to know someone in one of your classes if you can’t make it because you will have someone reliable who can give you updates. While you don’t have to make a new best friend, having at least one connection in each class has benefits.
6. Utilize Academic Resources and Campus Offerings
Sometimes, when bogged down in work and involvement, I can forget all that the University of Florida has to offer to its students. A few resources and offerings I am trying to make note of this semester include studying at the libraries or other study spaces, such as Newell Hall, instead of my bedroom, browsing the immense inventory in the Bookstore, taking walks around campus when in need of a brain break and utilizing the gyms as a healthy outlet. There are so many things that you can do as a student that I can easily find myself forgetting. This is a semester to make the most of what’s accessible to us.
7. Talk to Your Professors
Making connections is another common theme amongst my list of spring semester reset recommendations. Professors work to change the lives of their students. Professors, for the most part, are eager to help the people they teach and desire to know the name behind the submitted assignments. Talk to your professors after class, meet them during office hours and participate in class to make that connection. Putting in a little extra effort to know your professor can make you enjoy the class more, improve your understanding of the material and lead to the introduction of new opportunities, such as research, other professors, course recommendations and on-campus organizations.
8. Put Yourself Out There
Nobody can have too many friends. In college, try to meet as many people as possible. You can have a friend for everything. Personal relationships bring people joy and make a place far from your hometown feel like home. Introducing yourself to people is the first step to putting yourself out there.
The spring semester can be one of our best yet. Resetting or implementing new habits can improve your college experience. I look forward to reaching my semester goals, staying organized, following my routines and adding new connections to my life.