1. Eat a Good Breakfast
This sounds silly, but there’s no way you can feel energized for a jam-packed day if you don’t start out on the right foot. Skipping breakfast is not only horrible for your metabolism, but it’s horrible for your mind! How are you supposed to focus in class if you’re focused on your growling stomach? Wake up 10 minutes earlier, brew some coffee, slice some fruit and pop in some toast. You’ll be surprised how much more focused you’ll be at that 9 am lecture.
2. Don't Sleep Until The Last Minute
As college students, we all value every second of sleep that we can get! However, if you give yourself plenty of time in the mornings to wake up, eat, and prepare yourself for class- you’re going to be less groggy and more focused for the rest of the day. If you have to go to bed earlier, fine! Waking up 15 minutes before you have to be in class is only going to lead to you falling asleep during some important test prep, and in turn will reflect on your grades. Plus, if you give yourself plenty of time, there’s no way you’ll forget your notebook or textbook that you forgot last week because you were in a rush.
3. Stop Procrastinating
We are ALL guilty of procrastinating at some point in our lives—we get wrapped up in movie dates, Pretty Little Liars, Greek mixers, and so much more; then, it’s 11:30 pm Thursday night and you realize you have an exam the next morning at 8:00 am. Sound familiar? If you wait until the last minute, you’re going to be exhausted and unprepared. Once you get into the habit of procrastinating, it’s hard to stop. Don’t even let it happen once- new semester, new you! Get a planner and write everything down; color code it, sticky note everything, highlight it, whatever you need to do! Get things done 2 days in advance. If you have a big paper to work on, start it a week or more in advance. Less stress because of a time crunch=better grades!
4. Don't Worry TOO Much About Your Appearance...
But, don’t roll out of bed wearing pajamas to class. You shouldn’t spend 2 hours in the morning getting ready just to go to Microbiology lab and play with chemicals for 3 ½ hours. You’re going to be too focused on your hair getting messed up, and not focused enough on the work in front of you. NO ONE will remember if your makeup was perfect, or if your hair was in a bun. However, take pride in your appearance! Don’t run across campus in pajama bottoms and 3-day unwashed hair to your psychology lecture. You’ll sit in class the entire time wondering if people are looking at you, and not focusing on what your professor is saying. There’s a happy medium- find it! You’ll feel so much more confident without the worry of appearance on your shoulders.
5. Eat Healthier And Exercise
This may sound like a given, but it’s true! Your attitude closely reflects the food you put into your body. If you’re constantly eating junk (not to say McDonald’s every once in a while is a bad thing!), you’re not going to look or feel good! Replace your Big Mac a couple times a week with a sandwich made with pita bread, smoked turkey, and loads of veggies! Small changes can make a huge difference. Most colleges also have fitness centers that students can access for free (my colleges’ gym ranked top 10 in the nation!). Utilize them! Gym memberships are expensive, and college is one of the only times you’ll get access to one completely free of charge. Start out working it into your schedule once or twice a week—occasional cardio will help you feel refreshed and will make your heart strong!
6. Write A "Why I'm Thankful" Note
No, this isn’t Thanksgiving! But, sometimes, it’s nice to remind yourself of the things that you should be thankful for in life when you’re getting stressed or feel like nothing (and no one) is on your side. Is it your family? Your job? Your friends? Your pet? The food in your fridge? We often forget the little things that make us lucky to live the lives we live. We neglect to realize that there are people with far worse problems than getting a C on their Calculus midterm- at least we have a roof over our head, food in our stomachs, and clean water to drink—and the opportunity to have a college education in the first place. Keep a notebook, or a page in your planner to write things that you’re thankful for when you’re feeling stressed. It will help put everything into perspective.
7. Don't Be Afraid To Relax!
In college, we all have times when we feel like we have to please everyone else. We have to get good grades to please our parents and professors, we have to go to tons of events to please our organizations, we have to clean our houses to please our roommates, we have to pick up extra shifts to please our bosses… no wonder we feel a huge weight on our shoulders! Don’t be afraid to say “no!” Take a few hours one day a week to sit and have time for you. Whether it’s catching up on your favorite TV show (Orange Is The New Black, anyone?), reading a book for fun, going to Buffalo Wild Wing’s or the lake with your friends, baking a cake; take some time to kick back and not worry about everything that needs to get done; then, you can go back to reading the 63 pages due on Monday.
