With the start of a new school just around the corner for most of us, we're slowly letting our summer fun come to an end and transitioning back into work mode. After 3 long months of hanging out with friends and enjoying the warm sun stress free, just thinking about school can be stressful. Here are some tricks to help you transition into the new school year without getting overwhelmed.
1. Get a good night's sleep and wake up on time
It's no joke college students are sleep deprived and always exhausted, and there's tons of things that can make it hard to get those needed 8 hours of sleep like noisy roommates, late night study seshes etc. If you can, try to follow these tricks like sleeping in a cold and dark room and using an alarm clock rather than an iphone to ensure a good night's rest and an easier time waking up for class the next morning.
2. Use the Pomodoro Technique to handle studying
One of the best ways to study that has been proven by multiple studies is by taking breaks in between long periods of hard work rather than attempting to multitask. Using a kitchen timer to manage study time is a great tool for getting maximum quality work done.
3. Memorize your class schedule
For the first weeks of school it can be hard to remember all your different class times, room numbers and teachers names. A neat trick to memorize your schedule or access it easily is to set a picture of your schedule as your phones lock screen so all you have to do is reach into your purse, backpack or pocket to access it.
4. Study with incentives
Whether it's gummy bears, or being able to send a text message, you can mark your textbook or reading every couple paragraphs and give yourself a treat each time you reach a checkpoint. Everyone deserves their own little pat on the back for hard work, but remember, no cheating!
5. Make yourself sound super prepared
Next time you have a presentation meet with a few friends in your class ahead of time and give them questions to ask that you already know the answers to ahead of time, then only call on them. This way you can seem like you really know your stuff. Don't forget to return the favor.
6. Record lectures and play them back faster
If you are going in to a really good lecture or a study session with a tutor ask them if it is okay with them if you record their class to help you study. Once you have it recorded you can go back and play it at 1.5x or 2x it's speed to get through it faster. This way you only have to spend half as long listening to something you've already heard.
