Even though it’s hard to believe with all of the snow on the ground and all of these days out of class, the spring semester is upon us. Winter break is never long enough. With all of the holidays in the middle, it’s almost as though we didn’t actually get a break….especially for those of us that ended up with the flu over break this year, which was absolutely miserable.
Getting back into the swing of things can be difficult after having a few weeks off. No more binging that new Netflix series, no more spending all day playing video games, and no more time for reading for pleasure. It’s back to class, working on homework assignments, and trying to keep up your social activities. Perhaps you have also committed to a New Year’s resolution – creating a regular gym routine to fit into your hectic schedule during the week can be difficult.
Take some time before you get too far into classes to prioritize and to get organized. If you stay on top of what you need to get done and manage your time wisely, you’ll have plenty of time to fit everything into your day, even if it might seem nearly impossible at first glance.
Utilize your planner.
I’m more than guilty of not using the planner that I bought at the beginning of the school year. More often than not at the beginning of the semester, I’ll write down all of my due dates and other general important dates, and then I’ll never look at my planner again. I know there are other girls that obsess over their planners. That’s great, and I wish I was so committed. Instead, I find it more useful to put my important events in my phone’s calendar. It’s got a built-in reminder system, which is a definite plus for me. Furthermore, I also have a dry erase board calendar that hangs in my hallway, and I always keep that up to date, so I always know when something is due, when I have a test and when something is taking place that isn’t a regular occurrence. (Honestly, the majority of my January calendar now says “snow day.” Maybe my February will be more eventful.)
My point is, find the best way to keep track of all of the important things you have to do and what needs to be done first. This is the first step to managing your time wisely and tackling what might seem impossible.
Make time for self-care.
When you’re writing out what you need to do for the week, make sure you pencil in some time for yourself. If you’re introverted like me, make sure you allot yourself time to do something you want to do and recharge. Make some time to catch up on some shows, read a book or designate some time to play some video games. If that seems like too much, even take 15 minutes to take a bath and be by yourself a little bit. If you’re extroverted, make time with your friends to go get dinner, lunch or coffee. Make time to socialize if that’s how you relax and recharge. While all of this might seem trivial, taking care of your well-being is just as important as taking care of yourself physically, so make sure that you take the time to check in with yourself this semester.
Set some goals.
Even if you didn’t set a New Year’s resolution, you can still set some goals for the semester to work toward. For example, if you’re notorious for eating out several times a week, maybe work on eating at home more to save money. Instead of eating out five nights a week, try cutting it back. Your body will thank you, and so will your wallet. Work on saving money and try the five dollar challenge: every time you get a five dollar bill, save it, and then count them at the end of the semester and see how much money you have. If you want to work on being healthier, work on getting into the gym. If you can’t go every day, maybe set a goal to make it to the gym at least three times a week.
Push yourself to be the best version of yourself possible this semester, be it financially, physically, mentally, emotionally or academically. You’ll thank yourself in a few months when the semester is over, and maybe you’ll create some great habits to stick to.
Be prepared.
This can encompass many things – be prepared for your classes. Be present, on-time and with everything that you need for that class. If you have a meeting, know what the meeting is for and make the meeting move timely and efficiently. Be prepared for work – if you have someone important coming in to see you or a special event happening, look the part. Punctuality and professionality go a long way. Know who you’re dealing with, and be prepared for anything that the day, or week, might send your way.
Get involved.
Getting involved is the best way to succeed during the semester. Finding support within your classes, organizations and friends is the best way to stay motivated and finish the semester out strong. Enjoy being involved around campus while you can, especially if this is your last semester here. Even if it might seem like you absolutely don’t have time to participate in service to the community, make an effort to volunteer and help others. Participate in social events. Enjoy college. It only happens once. You only get four years, so enjoy those four years while they’re here.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.