Starting a new semester is always something that is stressful. You've heard about your new professors' reputations and you have no clue what to expect. You frantically check your schedule fifteen million times as you walk to class to ensure that the classroom hasn't changed locations. Once you walk in, you face the stress of choosing a seat and not drawing too much attention to yourself in a room full of strangers. Class begins and you spend the short time period doing classic syllabus day activities like saying your name, major, and one fun thing about you that everyone dreads. Class ends and you leave, feeling stressed out about all of the impending deadlines that you've had thrown at you. However, there are several things that you can do in order to ensure that you start your spring semester off on the right foot.
Actually use the planner that you bought.
I know that most people lose their syllabi within the first week of class. However, before you have a chance to misplace/throw it away, write down all of your homework assignments, due dates, and tests in your planner. Having all of your assignments and due dates in one location comes in handy when you are trying to decide whether you should go out this weekend or just stay in and do homework.
Make an in-class buddy.
Once you’ve finally chosen a seat and are sitting in a room full of people awkwardly pretending to be engrossed in their iPhones and not the individuals walking in the room, make a friend. Choose at least one person in the class and create an acquaintance type relationship. If you have a friend in each of your classes, you automatically have someone who can give you notes when you miss class and a study buddy. There’s nothing that brings people together like suffering through a class with each other.
Iron out the details of your schedule.
If you discover that you seem to have bitten off more than you can chew, go ahead and solidify your schedule as soon as possible. If you’re waitlisted for a course, attend the first class and see if the professor can let you in so that you can drop the random art class that you took in order to be considered full time. Figure out when you will have time to eat, sleep, and study throughout the week so that you can begin developing some sort of normalcy.
The first month of each semester is filled with awkward moments. You, your peers, and your professors are still trying to feel each other out and determine the type of class environment that you will have. Just remember to try and create a schedule that works for you so that when things get tougher, you’ll have something to fall back on.
