How to ACE Your Return to College at Brown

Returning to college after a few months of Summer can be tiring, overwhelming, and overstimulating. College tends to feel like a summer camp with an intellectual twist; there are complicated assignments and things to get done but alongside it comes enticing distractions and a lack of structure.  it can be difficult to stay on track and focused, and build good, consistent habits and routines. Here are my tips for building a consistent routine that helps you balance friends, fun, work, and health. 

*Note: while these are tools to help build more consistency and keep a more disciplined schedule, it is ok to be more flexible at times and not have this be a source of stress!* 

Set a Consistent Sleep Schedule

Nothing throws your body and schedule out of alignment like an inconsistent sleep schedule. Experts have argued consistency in a sleep routine is arguably more valuable than the duration you sleep, with a study finding that sleeping at inconsistent times for eight hours a day was less beneficial than sleeping six hours every night on a consistent schedule. This is because sleeping at consistent times helps the brain to build a consistent circadian rhythm and better prepare itself to be alert during the day and tired in the evenings. So set consistent sleeping and waking times when you get on campus, whatever that may be. 

Build a Master Document With Major Assignments 

At the beginning of the semester, every teacher will go through their syllabus. Each syllabus will highlight their important exams and assignments. Once you get these dates, it’s helpful to build a “master document” of sorts that outlines all of the dates and times for every major exam and assignment. This helps to inform you when weeks may be on the busier side, and help you plan accordingly early in the semester. It also ensures that nothing slips through the cracks, and you can always stay on top of my work. In college, organization is a key component of success. 

Build a Rough Schedule With Known Consistencies

There will be some things in your day-to-day that can be consistently planned out and prepared for. For these tasks that you know can be maintained, outline them in a generic daily schedule that goes through the week. This can include a rough outline of class times, club meetings, meal times, chores, gym times, and other consistent weekly events. Tools like Notion or Google Calendar are great resources to use for this, and a generic schedule like this can help set you up for a more balanced, productive week that minimizes any work overload and stress. 

Take time on Sunday to Plan Out Your More Specific To-Dos

Sometime over the weekend, take a moment to outline all of the specific things you need to accomplish and the days you want to accomplish them – these are the things that would not fall into your generic schedule. This helps to ensure your workload is balanced throughout the week and keeps you on top of your assignments. Similarly, this can be used to plan out specific events or social things you may want to make time for this week and help you proactively work to balance those demands. It’s important to maintain a good balance of work and play, so this is a time when you can make sure you are making time for both!