First semester, most likely consisted of many ups and downs. Adjusting away from home, prioritizing, organizing, it was a lot to take on in the first few months while doing well in academically. I remember reading so many articles prior to starting college, but as the famous saying by Ashley Ambridge goes, "Preparedness comes with experience-never before." So, here's how you do it.
Get organized.
I always wrote everything in my planner during the first week, but old habits die hard, so after the first week the planner became invisible. This resulted in doing assignments last minute and finding out I had a test coming up just days before. Ideally by doing this I wasn't in a great position. By the time I realized what I was doing wrong, it was too late. Now my go-to saying is, "When in doubt plan it out."
Find an ideal place to study.
Studying in the dorm room is a big no-no. I thought I could get so much done because my roommate and I had completely different schedules, but it didn't take me that long to realize that it wasn't going to work. I spent a lot more time talking to people and taking hour long naps that I wasn't supposed to be taking.
Stay healthy.
It didn't take much time for me, or my suite mates, to realize that campus food sucks. As the semester goes on, and the money on your meal plan dwindles down drastically, it's very easy to eat greasy foods instead of eating fruits. Stay healthy and avoid the dreaded extra weight.
Get a good night's rest.
During the first semester of college, my sleep schedule varied drastically. Even though I had all 8:30 a.m.'s, I still went to bed around three or two in the morning. In doing so, I was very stressed and not retaining any information. During break, I conducted a lot of research and found out that going to bed before 11 each night and waking up around the same time each morning; not only makes you productive but is, overall, a healthier lifestyle.
It's OK.
Even though first semester was a bit rough on my end, it doesn't mean I have to sit in my dorm room all day, every day, till the end of the second semester. I take responsibility for what happened, but it is a work in progress. With changing day to day activities and using time usefully the grades will show. Every single aspect of college requires learning, not only physically but also mentally. In the end it will all work out.
