With a new year comes plenty of new goals, dreams, and the least favorite, a new semester. Balancing these new goals with a busy semester can seem impossible, but being a productive student really comes down to a few simple tips and tricks.
1. Get a planner.
If you don’t already have a planner, you need one. I recommend the inkWell Press Planner or the Day Designer for a nice layout with lots of space for your busy schedule. Between classes, two jobs, and two executive board positions, I find that I need a daily schedule to keep me on track. If you’re not as needy when it comes to a planner, try to see if your campus gives out free planners to students. As long as you have somewhere to put down your To-Do List for the day you’ll be set.
2. Map your week out.
If you’re a visual person, then mapping out your weekly obligations can help you see where you can fit in time to meet all of your New Year’s Resolutions or hang out with friends. A Master Schedule is helpful when you color code. Put classes in one color, work in another, meals in another, and so on. Once you’re done with all of the needs in your life, you can move on to the wants such as gym time, weekly movie night, or even the amount of sleep you want each night.
3. Learn how to say no.
I’m probably the worst person to give this advice, but learning how to say no to new obligations is important for your mental wellness. Take at least an hour or two per day to relax and recharge, however that may look for you. Personally, I spend my free hours Netflix binging, but to each their own.
4. Work out (in the morning).
I’m about to lose a lot of people here, but hear me out. Working out in the morning, allows you to go about the rest of your day without thinking about how you should go to the gym, but really you want to spend time with your friends. Nobody is going to want to spend time with you at 7 AM, so go to the gym then. This gives you time to meet any physical fitness goals you have for 2016, but also gives you some time to de-stress before crazy days.
5. Have fun.
The worst way to spend your semester is cooped up in your room, or worse, the library, doing nothing but studying your life away. I’ll be the first person to tell you that studying is the (major) key to success, but it’s also not the only factor. In order to be truly successful, you need to go out every once in awhile. For me, that means treating myself to a nice meal or going to see a movie, but if it means going to a club for you, I’m not judging. Do whatever feels like fun to you, but not by yourself. Friends exist for times like these.
6. Study early.
My biggest regret, during my freshman year, was cramming for exams. I was stressed, didn’t learn anything, lost sleep, and ate terrible food. Do yourself a favor and start studying for exams a week in advance. That way you can study for thirty minutes a day and be prepared by the time your exam rolls around. If you do make the conscious decision to cram, don’t make my mistake. Bring your own snacks, so you don’t end up ordering a large pepperoni pizza into the wee hours of the morning.
In reality, being a productive student is all about using common sense and being in tune with your body’s needs. Don’t overwork yourself for a fleeting position or class. Your body will be around for much longer than either of those things, so take care of it both mentally and physically. Self-care and organization are two things that can work beautifully together, if you’ll just give them a chance.
Good luck with your semester, and enjoy the relaxation that Syllabus Week offers, because that chill feeling fades far too quickly.
