With the new semester beginning, there is a lot to get used to. New classes, new dynamics, and new demands. With all of the changes, that means that it is time to change up your routine. Whether you had one in place last semester or it is a new thing you want to try out, there are a lot of benefits to having a stable routine.

Photo by Hey Beauti Magazine on

Sitting down and planning out a routine is a great time to recognize what tasks and events happen in your life week to week. Classes, club meetings, work, and friendship dates may be staples that occur each week. They demand a certain time and automatically go into your schedule.

Along with classes comes outside work such as readings or studying. These are things that have no concrete time table. Within this, you are able to plan out when you want this to happen. Discover what works for you... do you like to work in the mornings or at night? Do you like to have large chunks of time to do tasks or are you okay with doing a little here and a little there? Carving out time to dedicate to your studies is part of your duty as a student.

Another way to be the best student you can be is to be the best human you can be. What makes you happy or able to perform at your best? What makes you feel the most like yourself? It could be hanging out with friends, serving others, indulging in hobbies, working out, or self-reflection. Build time into your routine to do things that energize you and replenish your identity outside of being a student.

Photo by Fabiola Peñalba on

Crafting a routine is something that can be as strict or as lax as you make it. If you know that you don't like hard boundaries, set time in your routine that literally says, "Do whatever you want to." If you like having every minute planned, do it. Knowing yourself helps establish a routine that you want to stick to.

Having a routine is not meant to stress you out. It is a way to see everything that is happening in your life and scheduling time for it. While planning your routine, you may find that there are too many things to do in a day. It happens. In this situation, crafting a routine is a great opportunity to realize your limits and consider what is truly important to you.

Setting up a routine can not only lessen the stress that you encounter in college but also allow you to step back and analyze what is important to you. By making time for things that you need and want, you get to achieve your goals while still staying true to yourself.