That fresh dip in the cool, clear-water pool. Your sun-kissed skin. Popsicles, fro-yo; ice cream sandwiches. Summer. All of these things have probably been apart of your summer escapes these past heat-throbbing months. But as warm August days begin to fly by, school will soon be back in session. We’ll be face-to-face with first day ice breakers, late night study sessions and the stress of maintaining to stay on the Dean’s List whilst attempting to keep up with our social lives. College.
There has been no realer struggle than the one that is college. Between not having the time to buy toilet paper (so you’re stuck wiping with makeup wipes and tissues) to eating only hummus and lettuce because you’re so broke, college life can be a little intense. What can be even more intense is getting back into the swing of things after a great, “I’ve-Had-the-Time-of-My-Life” summer. It can be mentally taxing to have to turn your brain back on for college-life, but lucky you — I’m here to tell you all exactly how to do so.
Big Question: How do I become rationally prepared for school after raging too hard this summer?
My Best Advice: First off, congrats for having a good summer; your pale friends, who were stuck inside all day as an intern, applaud you. Now, it’s time to be serious. It’s time to get your life together and get back into “school mode” so that you can sustain that Dean’s List-worthy GPA. Welcome back to real life. In order for you to go back to school and take it like a champ, you need to be mentally inclined to do so...
1. First off, go school supplies shopping. I’m not telling you to go crazy on the printer ink, but just get a couple of pencils, a planner and whatever else you may need. The minimum. This will bring your head back to School Mode Phase One. It will be that wake-up call in which school will be beginning really soon.
2. Next, practice going to bed at a decent hour. Instead of going to bed at 3 a.m., like you have been this whole summer, try going to bed at midnight or 1 a.m. That little change will make you so much more prepared for classes. You will feel fresh, and when the first day of 9 a.m. class rolls around, you won’t feel like you’re about to die.
3. School Mode Phase Three will require a little bit of thought. Just a little, I promise. This phase simply requires you to aim toward your goals for this semester. Set your goals so that you can have a ball park idea of what you want to get out of this semester. Write down your top three goals for the semester as well as long-term and short-term goals. The more goal-oriented you are, the more you will get out of the semesters to come and just life in general.
4. If you haven’t been reading this summer, try to find something to read. If it’s articles on the internet or a good book, find a few minutes a day to just sit down and read. Reading enables you to grasp intellectual thoughts, and it also helps you to interpret the meaning behind your prof’s lengthy lectures. And if reading just isn’t for you, try listening to podcasts because podcasts have the same advantages as reading, all the while having an added benefit of allowing you to practice your listening skills.
5. The last phase of “school mode” is phase five, and in this phase we’ll be talking about motivation because sometimes it’s just plain hard to be willing to do something school related. Personally, I don’t become inspired to do creative work until about 11 p.m. For school work, I do my work right after I get out of class, without thinking; without question, so that I don’t have to pull myself up from my siesta and actually get motivated. It’s much easier to just do it right after class. And if you don’t have homework, then just study for 30 minutes after class so that by the time the test comes around, you just have to review instead of cram. If you’re the type that loathes going to class, then find little ways to reward yourself. Get yourself that early morning scone, or reward yourself at the end of the day with a hot bath. Motivation is all mental, and if you’re able to conquer the mental wall that stand between you and what you have to do, then you deserve a reward. Find the joy in little gains.
There you have it. The five phases of going back to school with a fresh and ready mind. You all have this. Make this semester worth it. You’re just that much closer to graduation. I wish you all the best of luck this semester.