College life can often feel like an endless cycle of thinking “if I can just make it through this week…” every week. If you’ve been feeling like this recently, you are definitely not alone! Course loads tend to pick up in the late fall, in the wake of final exams, and it’s not uncommon to feel overwhelmed during this season. As a freshman at Barnard, I’ve also been having to work on the transition from the structured life of high school to the independence that comes with college and fast-paced classes. However, I have managed to stay on top of all of my work pretty well while also being productive, and most importantly, sane. I wanted to share some of my academic habits that I have found to help me thrive in college, while still providing leftover time for self care!
With final exams on the horizon, it’s going to be more important than ever to lock-in a study routine that works best for you. A trick that I use for study sessions as well as large assignments is to set time limits for myself when working. By giving myself an allotted time to get an assignment done or study a certain section of course material, I’ve found that I can work at a higher level of productivity within the given work period. If you tend to pull all-nighters or study yourself into oblivion while still feeling like you accomplished nothing, this is definitely a strategy you should try out! Sometimes, putting ourselves under timed pressure is exactly what we need to put our full effort and focus into a study goal.Â
Another habit I have developed as a college student is to, as ridiculous as it sounds, plan out every aspect of my day. I’ve found this to be especially helpful on days that I know are going to be particularly busy or stressful. Whether it is grabbing a meal, tidying up my room, or emailing a professor, I have taught myself to plan out every little item in my day. By doing this, I’ve been able to complete the things I have to get done, should get done, and want to get done without leaving anything behind. When I only write down important assignments, putting time into myself or my personal to-do’s is often forgotten. Try planning out a step-by-step list of your day if you feel like your own goals or needs throughout the day are often disregarded or overstepped by bigger school assignments and tasks that come up.Â
In regards to planning ahead to maximize productivity, assignment progress trackers are your friend. I use a template from Notion, which I highly recommend. Once you know that an assignment, project, or exam deadline is approaching, write it into an assignment progress tracker in time order with the due date and your level of progress (“not started”, “in progress”, “completed”, etc.). When there is a lull in your workload and you have time to get ahead, it’s easy to refer to your progress list to see what you can get started on early. I’ve been able to use this strategy in tandem with my course syllabi by writing in every assignment, essay, or project in the semester. As a visual learner, I find it really helpful to be able to see all of my assignments for class in one place.Â
To get into some non-academic habits that I’ve been loving, I try to dress nicely every morning, whether or not I have somewhere to be. Putting effort into making myself presentable tends to push me out of the house and decrease lingering laziness from the morning. A cute outfit can be your excuse to discover a new study spot or head to the library to get some extra work done. Getting ready also tends to keep me from going back to my room to nap or doom scroll.Â
Finally—learn a new skill or take on a passion project! This is a life hack for being able to take a break from school work without feeling guilty about lack of productivity. Putting free time into a new skill gives you a non-academic goal that you can focus on when your mind needs a break from classes, and in the end, it also pays off when you have a new talent acquired or a cool project finished. As an architecture student, I am currently teaching myself InDesign, which has been giving me a creative outlet but will also be something I can add to my resume and portfolio.Â
Even in times of hopelessness, it is definitely possible to make it through the rest of the semester while also staying happy and healthy. By using some of these tricks, it may be more possible to find balance in your daily routine. You don’t have to choose between academic success or rest and self care—you can have both!