Every January, people talk about New Year's resolutions, the habits they want to adopt and the adventures they want to cross off their bucket lists. As great as it is to set a big picture goal for the year, I think it's just as important for students to set resolutions for the upcoming semester. As a second semester junior, I've fallen into a bit of a slump, pushing off work, becoming overwhelmed, flaking on going to the gym and eating poorly. In order to overcome these bad habits and finish junior year with positivity and productivity, I have decided to make some spring semester resolutions.
Actually prepare for class.
Write down assignments, read the syllabus ahead of time, outline chapters before class, and do assignments with enough time to ask for clarification. In order to meet this resolution, I need to dedicate more time to the library and spend more late nights reading and reviewing my books and notes rather than catching up on my favorite Netflix series. As much as studying sucks, it needs to be done. And I guess junior year of college is a good time to actually learn how to study.
Make a fitness plan and stick to it.
It's so easy to flake on the gym and take a nap instead. Those naps won't be an option for me this semester since I'm doing a half marathon in April. Instead, I have to dedicate more time to running and cross training as well as eating healthy meals rather than fried goodies from the Den. A great way to eat better is to meal plan and prep. Luckily for me, I have a kitchen in my dorm room. If you don't, Pinterest is a great source for easy, healthy meal and snack ideas.
Don't procrastinate.
This one is going to be tough. It's easy to blow off that paper until two days before it's due, and does an assignment really need to be done any sooner than a couple of hours before class? The obvious answer should be yes, but oftentimes, distractions keep us from doing our best and putting schoolwork first. This resolution goes hand-in-hand with resolution number one. If I'm not procrastinating, it'll be hard to be unprepared. Check out this awesome infograph for some tips on how to crush procrastination.
Maximize your time.
As great as it is to try and juggle 200 things at once or to spend that 50 minutes between classes aimlessly scrolling through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and then Facebook again, use extra time to finish up a quick assignment or skim over your notes for your next class. I saw some really great infographs on Pinterest about setting time aside to browse social media, which is a habit I definitely would like to adopt. I've also discovered amazing websites that help you power through your work and remind you when to take a break.
Get out of bed when the alarm goes off.
This is definitely going to be my hardest resolution to stick to. When my alarm goes off, usually around 7 a.m., all I want to do is lay in bed and scroll through every social media site, check my e-mails, maybe send a few texts and Snapchats, and then finally, 45 minutes later, I rise. Getting out of bed when my alarm goes off will definitely benefit me in maximizing my time and increasing my productivity. It would be easier to send those e-mails from my laptop rather than my iPhone, anyway.
Make a routine.
The most important resolution that will help tie in all my semester resolutions is making a routine. This resolution is hard to do ahead of time since every semester is different, but after the first few days of classes, I should be able to buckle down and decide when the best times to conquer assignments, go to the gym and cook dinner are. Don't forget to include time to see friends and talk to family! Pinterest once again offered some great plans, tips and schedules that will definitely make it easier for me to make the most of my semester.
