Even though it may feel as if we have been at college already for a year, it is still only September, and nothing is actually solid yet. So, you may want to work on creating some more solid and productive habits to make your college life a bit more manageable and sustainable. Here are five things to do to change your ways before they become habits.
1. Find a study space that is actually productive for you.
This means something different for every person reading this article. For me, it depends on the type of work. If I’m doing a reading for a course that I am uninterested in, it requires absolute silence on the 7th floor of the library. Otherwise, I need a bit of noise and hustle-and-bustle to observe. The perfect place for that kind of work mood is Krankies Coffee. That said, it’s all trial and error. Instead of staying up until 3:00 in the morning because you’ve been getting distracted in your room, try out some new places and find what works. If you’re looking for a quieter space, go to any higher floor on the library, upstairs in Benson or a study room in Farrell. For places with a bit more noise, try out the North Campus Starbucks, the lower floors of the library, Krankies Coffee or Camino Bakery.
2. Get. Sleep.
I’ll be the first to admit it, I am a terrible procrastinator and consequently, don’t get much sleep. I’ll stay up until 3:00am one night, do all of my work for the next day, crash at 4:00pm, nap for the next 5 hours, and have to stay up super late again to get all of my work done. If you’re able to get on a sleep and work schedule now that works for you, do it. You’ll notice crazy benefits, such as actually keeping your eyes open in class, avoiding bad breakouts and an overall better mental state.
3. Eat breakfast.
Simply put, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. According to the Rush University Medical Centre, various studies have found benefits of eating breakfast such as a lower BMI, consuming less fat during the day, a higher daily calcium intake, and a higher daily fiber intake. Not only are there immense amounts of health benefits, but I find that it’s a great time to clear my head before the day begins. I am able to sit down, plan out my day and think about all that is to come. As well, eating before your classes allows you to focus more by not having to think about how hungry and excited you are to chow down once the class is over.
4. Create a spending budget.
Being away at college, it’s not tough to get carried away with the amount of money that you’re spending. Each party has a different theme, you feel the urge to order in Chipotle every night, and it is so much easier to Uber to and from Wake Downtown than take the Wake Line. To be honest though, this isn’t a sustainable lifestyle that will last you through your four years at Wake. Instead, you could make a spending budget for each month that would allot a certain amount of money to each aspect of your life. This doesn’t mean completely limiting yourself and taking away things you enjoy or having to make a complicated Excel spreadsheet, but it’s a matter of simply knowing how much you are spending. Changing your mindset to ordering in dinner only once a week and taking stock of your friends’ wardrobes to see what you can borrow is all that it takes. Slowly but surely, you will begin spending less money.
5. Create a weekly schedule for yourself.
Before the beginning of each week, take some time to plan out homework and important tasks for the week. Using the app Timetable, I’ve been able to set times for specific tasks to do between classes and re-arrange as necessary. It brings my stress levels down to make this schedule, even if it doesn’t get completely followed.