It’s a brand new school year, which means that it’s time to start fresh! For most of us, school means crazy schedules, bad eating habits and skipping trips to the gym, but not this year! Here are Her Campus Wilfrid Laurier’s top 10 ways to make this school year your best yet!
1. Make a schedule
It’s important to map out your time for the semester to stay on top of everything you need to do. Grab a calendar and write down all of your classes, assignment due dates, extracurricular activities and workout sessions. It’s also great to write down when you want to start working on your assignments. If you have things written down with set deadlines, you will be more inclined to them. Your schedule will also help you manage your time well enough to be social and have fun, while being a successful student!
2. Eat REAL meals
Eating prepared meals can help you get all of your nutrients and help you stay healthy. Cooking when schedules get hectic can be difficult and stressful, so focus on meals that are quick to make and take them with you. Wraps and salads are quick, yummy, nutritious, and easy to bring along to work or campus. Having a small breakfast before class, like a Greek yogurt, strawberry and almond parfait, and packing a lunch, like a turkey and avocado sandwich on whole grain bread, to bring with you will stop you from being distracted by hunger and then eating those easily available, less healthy food options. It will also help you avoid those awkward stomach groans that might attract an embarrassing amount of attention during lectures!
3. Exercise
Exercising is one of the most important parts of staying healthy. Doing crunches when you wake up, lifting weights, taking a fun workout class or just a brisk walk on a regular basis can do wonders for your body and your mood. Regular exercise obviously helps manage your weight, but it also strengthens your immune system and is known to be a natural antidepressant. The Athletic Complex has a ton of fun classes for all fitness and skill levels like lyrical dance and spin classes.
4. Go to class
It’s easy to press snooze on your alarm and promise to get up on time next week, but the whole reason you’re at university is to go to class. While it is tempting to just get notes from a friend and skim the textbook you will have greater success if you are attending class. Woody Allen said; “80% of success is showing up”. So show up!
5. Find a study buddy
Having a friend in your program can make a world of difference when it comes to studying for tests, editing papers and finding notes for the class that you’ve missed. If you don’t know someone in your class already, find someone else that came in solo and strike up a conversation. Agree to exchange numbers so that you can meet up for a study session before class sometime. They’ll be just as happy to have the extra help!
6. Go to the Writing Centre
The Writing Centre is a tool that you can use for free! They will help you get started on a paper, strengthen your thesis and help you out with all your writing needs. It never hurts to get a second opinion on your paper, especially if it’s one of the first ones that you’re turning in this year.
7. Talk to your professors
Your professors want you to be engaged in their class and want you to succeed. Going to visit your professor during her office hours will give you a better grasp on what is expected from you, not to mention that it will help you stand out as an engaged, attentive student!
8. Call your parents
They’re worried about you! Your family cares about you and misses you. Just remember when your mom asks you if you’ve been eating well for the a hundredth time, don’t lash out at her!
9. Visit the bookstore
Being at Laurier is something to be proud of. Go buy a sweatshirt to rock everywhere you go and let everyone know that it’s great to be a Laurier Golden Hawk. Having some Laurier swag that you can wear to Homecoming and other school events will really make for a great year!
10. Don’t forget to have fun!
While academics are the most important don’t forget to have fun and enjoy everything Laurier and Waterloo has to offer. Get involved in a campus club like Fashion ‘n’ Motion, go to Wilf’s with your friends, and live it up doing whatever makes you happy.