It's the first few weeks of the semester and your motivation to achieve is at an all time high. Maintaining momentum in the first weeks of the semester until the very end is a difficult task, but it's completely essential to stay one step ahead of yourself in order to reach academic and personal goals in the distracting realm that is college. Sure, you may lose a wink of sleep or plans with friends, but you won't regret accomplishing tasks and goals to the best of your ability in the long run. A proverb that I think of every time I am close to giving up lingers in my head, "You're not going to regret not sleeping in college." Here are a few practical ways to stay on top of school and build self-discipline.
1. Wake up for a purpose.
Easier said than done, I know. I find trouble with this as well. The horror of looking outside and seeing that the sun hasn't yet risen is enough to send someone diving back under the covers, but hear me out. For most people, the most difficult part of getting up early is the physical aspect of it. Quite simply, alarm clocks don't work. A few things you can do to boost productivity is set morning goals or a purpose; mine is 7 a.m. breakfast. Living in a sorority house, I've come to realize that girls are animals and the early bird truly does get the worm. Come 8 a.m., all the good food has been sucked up like a vaccuum. Making your bed as you wake up is also a good incentive to prevent you from diving back into bed and you can look at it as your first accomplishment of the day. Set a small goal even if it's simply just being able to tell yourself that you woke up early. Gold star mom would be so proud!
2. Draw or write out a visual plan/schedule.
Ever see those people with their planners highlighted and bookmarked, looking like RoseArt puked up all over it? They have their stuff together, but do not fret! You, too, can have your stuff together! Sure, you might be procrastinating on actually getting those tasks done by drawing and writing about them, but in the long run, you won't have the excuse of telling yourself or teacher you forgot about that one paper due last night. Being able to visually write down your schedule helps you mentally envision what needs to get done and helps you stay on course rather than winging it, trying to shuffle through screenshots of what was written on the board in lecture.
3. Bribe yourself with weekly or monthly rewards.
Sounds counter-intuitive to bribe yourself to get stuff done, but there's nothing wrong with allowing yourself to bask in some pleasure for all your hard work. Maybe it's something as simple as a celebratory beer for actually making it to class each day and not scrolling through your Facebook during lecture. Or maybe you survived the curve and got an A your paper and you just feel like buying tickets to your favorite band or DJ thats coming to town. Or hell, even buy yourself Coachella tickets for surviving the quarter.
4. Integrate physical/mental fitness into your routine.
It's easy to prioritize grades and academics as above making it to the gym, especially with all the newfound resolutionists hogging the weights. Perhaps your excuse is that fitness just doesn't fit into your "tight schedule." Wrong. The moment you stop perpetuating that mentality is the moment you stop lying to yourself. While you don't have to look silly doing desk workouts (have we become that lazy as a nation?), you can substitute sleeping in for a good pump at Wooden, or if you're really about that swole life, you can sub your weekly Thursday nights for a workout. OK, maybe you don't want to take it that far, but you can incorporate mental and physical well being into your schedule if you try. Grab a friend and do some quick sets, then grab lunch. Schedule a counseling appointment during one of your breaks rather than mindlessly scrolling through your phone before your next class.
5. Listen to mood-altering music.
They say classical music is the best genre for studying and boosting focus levels, but if you're not into the strong fluctuating crescendos, then soft electronic music is the next best thing. Preferably something that doesn't have lyrics or words. While you're not going to listen to Boregore's greatest bangers, also try to stay away from music that will remind you of a specific experience you've had or a special event. Chances are in your reminiscence, you'll find yourself texting your friend reminding them about Jack Ü's "totally lit drop" during his set at Coachella circa 2014.
6. Do not bookmark social media websites.
This one should just be common sense, but when you bookmark Facebook or BuzzFeed, it becomes easier to access and scroll aimlessly through them during class or studying. For all those who scroll through social media during class, you may think that it's only the professor that truly cares about it, but it's not. It's super distracting to see a laptop screen in front of us scrolling at lightspeed through various websites. Just hold out for those 50 minutes of lecture; that 50 percent off sale will still be there after class. If your willpower is not that great, then download the Self Control app to force yourself off certain websites during study hours.
7. Prioritize tasks and courses.
Four classes may not seem like much but on a rigid fast-paced academic system such as the quarter system, it may resemble a kind of mini hell. Especially looking at the syllabus and realizing you need three books per course, with multiple readings for each every week, it may become difficult determining where to even start. If a course is only offered a single quarter, then prioritize that class rather than the random elective needed for credits. When reading long articles and journals, do not get turned off by the horrifying fact that they are 30 pages. Professors don't really expect you to read every single page, just read between the lines. Skimming helps, but also reading the abstract of a long article helps get a feel for what the main argument is. Don't waste your time reading an entire article, especially if you've stopped actually taking in the information 15 pages ago.
8. Switch it up.
Humans, or more specifically, college students, aren't the best with their attention spans. Sticking to one mundane routine gets old, and thus we are more likely to become distracted. Take breaks during studying when you find your mind drifting off. 15-minute breaks are perfect for getting all the built-up anxiety out and getting back to studying with a fresh slate. If you find yourself always studying in the same place, choose a new location and get a feel for it. Allow yourself a few minutes to adjust to the environment in order to prevent distractions when you're actually studying. There are a ton of hidden gems on campus for studying whether you enjoy absolute silence and solitude or louder populous environments; it's all an issue of mind over matter.
