Getting back into gear after a summer of rest and relaxation can be a harder challenge than you might expect! For most of us, summer means few responsibilities beyond a summer job and a killer tan! It’s hard not to be shell-shocked when the assignments start rolling in and your schedule is filled from morning until night. Here’s a few tips to help you avoid stress and make a smooth transition back to the college lifestyle.
1. Create a Budget
After saving your money all summer and resisting those weekly trips to the mall, it’s extremely tempting to blow it all on new makeup and a wardrobe to impress the friends you haven’t seen in 3 months. Don’t. do. it. Instead, focus on creating a plan that will get you through at least one semester with the money you have saved. Doing this will keep you free from the stress of running out of money and allow your parents to see that you are responsible enough to be on your own- hey maybe they might even throw you a few extra bills be being so good!
2. Get a Planner
I always like to say “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Keep yourself on top of your assignments and commitments with a detailed planner of all your responsibilities! Having a planner gives you no excuse to miss a homework assignment or forget to study for a quiz and it will make you feel a lot better knowing what’s going on from week-to-week instead of procrastinating and forgetting what needs to be done
3. Be Engaged
During the first few weeks of classes it’s easy to space out since most of us haven’t been in a classroom setting for a few months. However, the first few weeks are also the most important in getting to know what your professor expects of you and learning the foundation information about the class you are taking. Sit up front, turn your phone off and resist the urge to doodle. Chances are, if you start getting into the habit of staying focused now, you’ll be able to continue for the rest of the semester. Not to mention, most professors count class participation as part of your overall grade!
4. Find a Study Buddy
Or two or three! Look around your classes early and seek out friends from your hometown or previous classes that you will feel comfortable teaming up with to study or collaborate on a group project with! Creating these relationships now will help you avoid the class-wide scramble for partners later and allow you to bounce questions off each other on topics you don’t quite understand.
5. Use Your Alarm Clock
During the summertime it isn’t frowned upon to sleep away the day and wake up early only on days you plan on hitting the beach with friends, but we’re back now and sleeping all day and missing your classes isn’t an option anymore! If you know you are the type of person to utilize their snooze button, set your alarm a little earlier so you can get up, get dressed and avoid being “that girl” who ran to class still wearing her pajamas!
6. Set Some Boundaries
During the summer, most of us have our own rooms complete with spacious closets and no one but nosy family members to rummage through our things. Whether you’re moving into an apartment with friends or living in a dorm with a stranger, it’s important to set boundaries. Avoiding the awkward conversation about how you feel about visitors and sharing your clothes could make for an even more awkward situation later when your favorite blouse is missing and there’s an air mattress on your floor every weekend!
7. Get Involved
You’ve probably heard this a million times but the hardest way to make any transition is alone, so pledge a sorority or join one of the hundreds of clubs at UNH and you’ll have a pack of friends before you know it! Meeting new people will make for more familiar faces in your classes and give you someone to talk to if you’re not having the best day ever.