Congratulations! You survived the first week of school! If you’ve realized that your sluggish summer slump is hurting your motivation in school, use these tips to help you get organized for a kickstart to the semester. If you’re the type of person who keeps telling themselves they HAVE to get organized this semester, but you just don’t know how – here are the answers you’ve been waiting for.
Plan
Don’t throw away that syllabus you received on the first day of class. Look over it and check for due dates. Then take a look at your weekly schedule and set aside time every day to work on your homework. Your syllabus should give you the information you need to create a calendar that includes all of your class times, due dates and test dates. When your schedule is all in one place it’ll be easier to know what other extracurricular activities you have time for.
Get Supplies
Being told exactly what you’ll need would have made school supply shopping easier,but teachers don’t give out the supply lists we used to get in high school. Now that you’ve spent a week in your classes and you know what kind of work you’ll be doing, it’s time to update your supplies. Getting a spiral notebook and a folder for each class will help you keep track of all of your notes and handouts. If you haven’t looked into textbooks yet, now would definitely be the time. You may not need them right away, but come exam time when you can’t decode your notes, you’ll wish you had a highlighted book.
Reward Yourself
Stressing over everything all the time is not going to help your grades or your social life. Set up a reward system to avoid overdoing it in the beginning of the semester (which can lead to giving up at the end). Setting up a reward system can also help you from procrastinating. A reward system can be anything from allowing yourself to have a night out with the girls to treating yourself to the new accessory you’ve had your eye on all summer. The trick to a reward system is to set up a list of goals from the start and a list of rewards for each one you complete. Only allow yourself to have those rewards if you’ve completed the goal satisfactorily. For example, if you finish your paper a day early and you get a good grade on it, then spend some time pampering yourself at a spa day for your hard work.
Be Excited
A new semester isn’t all about new classes, so don’t spend all of your time wishing you could lie in bed all day again. Look forward to all that USF has to offer outside of classes and add some of the extra special events to your rewards list. Make plans, meet new people and have fun.
Sometimes it can be hard to get out of that sluggish summer slump, but using these tips to get your semester on the right track can make a difference. Being motivated isn’t easy when you’re not interested in that early class, but knowing you have plan for success and some rewards to sweeten the deal may help you find that kick start you’ve been looking for.
Photo Links:
http://inlpcenter.com/personal-development-plan/
http://www.moremonmouthmusings.net/2013/08/24/school-supplies-needed/
http://collegecandy.com/2010/03/09/do-tt-yourself-tuesdays-spa-day/
http://www.courant.com/sports/uconn-football/hrt-hc-uc-usf07-20121103,0,102313.photo