This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at WM chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.
- Get more sleep. Sleepless nights of studying and partying are a thing of the past. This year, try to catch some more Z’s by planning your time out better. Do NOT pull all-nighters. To avoid them, think reasonably and list out your priorities for each week. If you know you have a 10 page paper due on Friday, don’t kid yourself and wait till Thursday night. Doing a little bit each day goes a long way. You’ll find that if you keep this up, your weekends will open up and you’ll stop being miserable on Sundays cramming after a weekend of late nights.
- Don’t stay cooped up all the time. Yeah, we all want good grades. If you’re super disciplined you might spend every waking moment studying (kudos to you!). If you’re shy, it’s understandable that you won’t be out raging Thursday through Saturday. However, don’t let your entire college experience consist of your usual party-for-one romantic comedy movie nights. Come on, how many times can you possibly watch
Ryan Reynolds shirtless (bad example)The Notebook, wishing you had that kind of romance in your life, and not get bored? Mix things up! Live a little and try something new, even if that means experimenting with a night out at the Units. (Just make sure that the worst thing you lose that night is your Student ID and not your dignity.) - Stay fit. It’s the resolution we make every year that only lasts about a day. This year, don’t succumb to the usual “I don’t have any time” excuse. Thirty minutes of exercise each day makes a big difference. Going to the gym really isn’t all that scary. Wear that cute workout outfit you bought for last New Year’s resolution (which you never touched) and fill your iPod with plenty of upbeat music. For extra motivation, bring a friend! If you’re still not convinced, there are plenty of exercises you can do on a yoga mat in your dorm room. Final tip: enjoy our beautiful campus! There are plenty of places to enjoy a run (or a walk if you’re at my level), such as DOG Street in CW or the trails of Lake Matoaka.
- Stop skipping class. If you’re like me, you learned pretty quickly your Freshman year that professors won’t always take attendance or even know your name. Especially in big lecture classes, it’s quite tempting to skip out and sleep in. Don’t do it! It’s like eating potato chips, you can never just have one. And watch out, because some professors actually do pay attention and will sneakily take off points from your final grade due to absences. If you’re incredibly sick and can’t get out of bed, fine. But get a note from the Health Center just in case!
- Stay in control and respect yourself. Ladies, we all make mistakes. Our judgement might get a little hazy sometimes and there might have been those times when you’ve regretted a hookup. That’s all fine, but just be careful not to lose respect for yourself. One hundred percent of the time, you deserve better than a jerk who uses you for bootycall. Whenever you’re out at a party, don’t lose control and make terrible decisions. Honey, I don’t care what excuse you throw out there, it’s just never a good idea. The last thing you want to be is the girl everyone thinks they can easily take advantage of. Tip: If you’re starting to resemble Deena from Jersey Shore, you’ve gone too far.
- Try a new club. There is something out there for everyone! Even though the best time to pick and choose is at the Fall Student Activities Fair, many clubs are flexible about adding new members. Take advantage of the Student Happenings emails and try attending one of the many open meetings. Clubs are a great way to make new friends and experiment with different hobbies and interests. Also, there are numerous organizations devoted to charity or community service, so check them out and make a difference this year!
- Have a typical college “coffee date.” At William & Mary, the coffee Gods have smiled upon us and blessed us with The Grind, Aroma’s, and Starbucks at the bookstore. Now’s the time to gather the courage to ask that cutie in your psych class or down your hall to a casual coffee date. Not ready for that yet? That’s fine, take a friend instead. Try enjoying your coffee instead of scarfing it down for the caffeine during midterms and finals week. Coffee dates are a great way to meet with friends, class partners, or professors to just have a nice chat.
- Visit Lake Matoaka. When you’ve got something so beautiful on your campus, it’s a shame not to enjoy it! Matoaka can be very versatile, whether it’s for a concert, running trails, romantic picnic, secret study spot, or even a late night campfire. Watching the sunrise or set at Matoaka is definitely a sight to see. Especially when things get super hectic with school, work, or friends, Matoaka makes for a great escape.
- Buy the Colonial Williamsburg 2013 mug. New year, new mug! Join in on the W&M tradition of purchasing the annual Colonial Williamsburg Mug. Although the design changes each year, the benefits stay the same. For just $11, you can enjoy endless refills of hot apple cider at the taverns in CW. During the summer when you’d be crazy to ask for a hot drink, your options include cold fountain beverages and of course, ice water. It’s definitely worth it!
- Get to know a professor. If you’re a Freshman or even a Sophomore, you probably haven’t chosen your faculty advisor yet. (I’m not talking about the professor you got paired up with during Freshman orientation who was only good for giving you your registration pin number.) When it comes time to choose a major, your advisor is going to be there with you every step of the way, so choose wisely! They are the ones who help you choose which classes to take, write you recommendations, and can ultimately set you straight on a career path with the right connections. This year, if there’s a professor you particularly like, put in the effort to get to know them. Pay attention during class, ask questions, and go to office hours. It all pays off in the end.
- Make an appointment at the career center. Unfortunately, college won’t last forever. The career center is definitely somewhere you should visit to start planning your future. They offer many workshops for learning how to dress for interviews, what to say, how to write a resume, etc. The career center can help you to snag competitive internships and set you on the right path for after graduation.
- Do the triathlon. Most of you reading this probably jumped the gun and completed the triathlon within the first few weeks of Freshman year, when getting too drunk at a party and streaking the sunken gardens was excusable. If not, what are you waiting for?! It’s a William & Mary tradition that every student is strives to complete before graduation. Do it with friends and I promise you, it’ll be something to remember.
- Give romance a chance. I don’t care how cheesy or corny this might sound, but this year, let those 20-foot walls you’ve built around yourself crumble down, and open up your heart to love. Maybe you haven’t read as many Nicholas Sparks books or seen as many Disney Princess movies as I have (no shame, by the way). But still, finding your Mr. Wonderful isn’t just for the storybooks. If you’ve already got a crush that you’re secretly dating in your dreams, it’s time to give that romance a chance. Gather up the courage and tell him how you feel, because most of the time, guys won’t notice the hints you drop for them. If that’s not your scenario, and maybe you’ve been hurt badly before, let those wounds heal and move forward. Be open minded and let this year be the year you fall in love!