A photo of a college desk with materials being organized for the upcoming semester. Photo by Matt Ragland on Unsplash
Everyone starts off the semester feeling motivated and ready to tackle their studies. It’s a fresh start and we all have a million and one things we plan on doing differently than the previous semester. However, the motivation can quickly fade and stress can often replace it. Here are some tips and tricks to help you stay on top of your A-game and never give up, even when times get tough.
Become an organizational wizard.
Ditch the papers crumpled at the bottom of your backpack or a Google Drive that has no folders despite the 100 random documents. Instead, find an organizational system that works for you. If you’re doing everything digitally, create folders for each of your classes on both your desktop and Google Drive. This way you can be organized on both fronts and are never left searching for a missing assignment that was due five minutes ago.
Create a Google Calendar.
I always thought of myself as a paper planner but once I realized the beauties of GoogleCal I quickly converted. Everything is customizable and you don’t have to succumb to the mistakes made by a pen. Your lunch date got moved to next Thursday? No problem, just quickly click and drag!
Put things into perspective.
College is a stressful time and a stressful place, but it doesn’t always have to be. Realize that people make mistakes and that life moves on. One exam grade is not going to define your future, and things always have a way of working themselves out. It wouldn’t be a happy life if there weren’t any lows.
Stay on campus.
Take the nine to five concept and bring it into your academic life. It’s no shocker that once you step into your room, sitting on your bed becomes too tempting. Instead, only go home once the tasks you wanted to complete are checked off the to-do list. Not only will productivity levels increase, but now there’s no sitting in bed feeling guilty about procrastinating.
Remember to eat and sleep.
Nothing about overworking yourself is glamorous. Being a student does not take away basic human needs. Keep the all-nighters to zero, or at least a minimum. Try to establish a regular sleeping schedule so your body can slip into a routine that feels natural and consistent. I know the feeling of being so busy that remembering to eat becomes difficult, however this only leads to crashing and burning. It’s important to constantly be putting nutritious food into your body so you can stay fueled throughout the day.
Sitting down with a book and a cup of tea is a great way to relax after a long day. Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
Let yourself relax.
Hustle culture has become such a phenomenon that the thought of not being productive sends people into a downward spiral. The reality of it is that downtime is necessary. We all need to scroll aimlessly through TikTok or binge-watch “Big Little Lies” to stay sane and there’s nothing wrong with that!
Check your email.
I know the countless emails constantly flooding the inbox can be overwhelming, but it’s important to check them so you never miss out on any information, like a professor cancelling class or giving an extra credit opportunity. One way to get yourself to check your emails is setting notifications. Whenever an email pops up on your homescreen, you’ll automatically be more inclined to read all of it.
A new semester is a chance to create habits that make your daily life easier. In today’s world there are thousands of resources that are available to you, so take advantage and start the new year off on a good foot.
Jordana Castelli is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at jordana.castelli@uconn.edu.
