Spring semester is here! Many of us are wanting to start the semester off on a good note. Whether that's with school, making more time for our social lives, volunteering in the community, etc...Here are four tips that helped me during my first semester of college. These tips helped me a lot and I will continue to use them in the future. Starting with this semester!

1. Sleep!

Sleep is so important! Pulling all-nighters frequently isn’t a good idea. We shouldn’t skip out on sleep because it helps us to stay focused throughout the day and work more efficiently. As college students were constantly stressing over assignments and projects. Getting adequate rest can help with this!

2. Find the right environment (and make sure it’s a clean space)

The right environment can make all the difference when it comes to studying and doing homework. Ask yourself if you like being in quiet or noisy environments. If you know you have trouble concentrating or are easily distracted, you may want to find a quiet place that doesn’t have a lot of people going in and out (i.e the library). If you feel like you can work in a less quieter environment you may want to be in a cafè. Being in a clean environment matters as well. If you are in a disorganized environment, you are more likely to become distracted. Lastly, make sure to switch it up now and then! Being in the same environment all of the time can start to get old.

3. The Pomodoro method

This method saved my life during my first semester of college. I still use it today and it has helped me immensely. I am someone that easily gets distracted and can’t study constantly for copious amounts of time. So I break my study sessions into parts. This method is great if you also struggle with time-management. With this method, you study for 25 minutes and take a five-minute break afterward. After studying in four 25 minute modules, take a 15-minute break. There are apps that are available for Android and Apple users for this.

4. Start with the most important assignment

When you sit down to do all of your assignments, work from the assignment that is most important and then work your way through. Pay attention to due dates and make a list starting with what’s due first and so on. If you are a visual person, a calendar can help with seeing your assignments and due dates layed our before you. Make sure to display your due dates clearly. Also, try getting a planner to help manage all of your assignments.