Coming back from winter break is hard for college students because we all finally got used to not having any responsibilities when it is time to come back to school and start the hard work all over again.
Here are some things I recommend in order to make this a successful semester, leading to an amazing summer!
1. Remind yourself why you are there.
It is very easy to forget why you went to school in the first place when we are given the amount of freedom when we go away to school. This is the first chance we get to be adults and provide for ourselves and many students take that as a chance to dive far too deeply into the partying lifestyle that surrounds a college campus.
Make sure you always remind yourself why you love the major you are in and the field you hope to one day go into. This will help you prioritize that and keep you focused on your classes.
2. Rely on your friends for help.
Having a solid group of friends (or even simply a friend) makes the second semester easier to go through because you have people to go through it with.
Rely on them to study with, bounce ideas off of, vent to when you are feeling stressed, and even to take study breaks with.
Especially when you are in a college that is hours or even states away from your hometown, you will need people that will be there for you and will look out for what is best for you.
3. Develop new study habits.
After every semester, I evaluate how I did in my classes. I do this to see what I did very well and what I need to work on. This is because I look at my grade in the class and think about how I studied for the tests in that class.
Some study habits work well for some people and aren't as useful to others. Changing up your study method can help you find the method that works well for you.
Some classes even call for different study methods than others. Going into the last semester of the year, make sure you finish strong and use study habits that help you reach your full potential!
4. Pick up a good habit to your daily routine.
Having a constant in your daily routine is important for the times when you need a little study break. This habit can be going to the gym, listening to music, or even sitting and watching an episode of your favorite show on Netflix.
This can help take you away from schoolwork for a short amount of time in order to give you time to relax. You have to give yourself something that is an escape from all the stress and workload that hits in the second semester.
I promise you will not regret making this a part of your routine, it will turn into something you look forward to on a daily basis!
5. Let yourself enjoy the present.
By this, I mean that of course, you can enjoy the fun parts of college. Not every second has to be in books and studying for exams. If that was the case, every student would go crazy I think.
Whether it is a going to brunch with your friends or going out on a Saturday night, give yourself time for FUN. Take advantage of the times when the workload is not as heavy and you can get dressed up and go have a good time with your friends.
The partying in college should be something you should enjoy and get to experience. If you follow my other tips as well, you will remain on a successful path academically while incorporating the fun of college!
