As syllabus week and any chance of free time comes to an end, you might be asking yourself, “what the hell do I do now?”
Feeling stressed and lost at the beginning of the school year is totally normal. Being thrown back into classes, meetings and homework all while taking care of your own well being and maintaining a social life can get pretty overwhelming. Luckily, there are a few tips and tricks that you can use to make it all seem just a little bit easier.
1. Get organized
It’s time to break out the cute planner and unreasonably expensive, fancy highlighters that you never use and finally put them to good use. Jot down everything, from homework assignments to big tests and projects. Getting your school life organized and in order will help you to make room for the fun stuff. Something else that I use religiously (besides my beautiful highlighters) and is great for staying organized, is some sort of online calendar.
My favorite way to use it is to plan out my week. I’ll enter any classes or club meetings that I have and then go from there. This way I can look at any gaps in my week and fill them with non-school related events such as going to the gym or grabbing dinner with a friend. It sounds intense, but I promise it’s not. Having a schedule to keep organized might be exactly what you need to make adjusting back to college seem a lot less overwhelming.
2. Make time for self care
Taking the time to focus on yourself when you’re feeling overwhelmed might not make all of your assignments go away, but it will give you a good rest and recharge to face college again head on. Self care can be so much more than a quick face mask or a cup of tea. Working on your passions or doing an activity that you love whether it be writing some poetry or heading out on a solo trip to the thrift store, will always be beneficial in the long run. Overworking yourself does far more harm than good. Take a break, you deserve it.
3. Start good habits
Starting good habits at the beginning of the year is essential when it comes to easing back into college life. Habits such as waking up at the same time every day, or taking the time to write out notes after class will get you into a routine that will not only help you adjust back into a college schedule, but help you achieve your academic goals as well. And if you slip up, no big deal! The beginning is always the hardest, but once you get the hang of things, managing your new school schedule will get a whole lot easier.
College is hard. It’s as plain and simple as that. As you are easing back into the swing of things, always remember to reach out if you need help and remember that no one has it all together, even if it seems like they do.
On a lighter note, good luck Hokies! Now go kill this semester.