Learning As I Go: Tips For the Coming School Year

Like most fellow students, the preparation for school as September approaches brings more excitement than stress.  Sure, classes are starting, but so are football game and parties.  It’s a wonderful time of year.  Like plenty of other classmates, I’ve made the mistake of not properly preparing for the start of classes so, here are a few tips to prepare you for classes to start and make your semester more manageable.

Get your necessary items. 

What is meant by this is that you should get the basic school items you might need like a package of college ruled paper and a notebook to takes note.  It isn’t high school where you go and a teacher says you need three two-inch binders and four plastic folders.  For the most part, you know what you need and if you’re like me, you’re that person that shows up on the first day and doesn’t even have a piece of paper and pen to write down the other supplies needed for the class.  Save yourself that stress and knock that part out so you can at least go in able to take a few notes. Don’t make the mistake of putting too much in your backpack because the load only gets heavier as you’re walking across campus.

Do your laundry.

I say this because there is nothing more inconvenient in the middle of a busy week than having to come to terms with the fact you don’t have anymore clean underwear and that you are going to have to postpone all plans to finally wash your clothes.  Get this out of the way so you can wear all of your favorite t shirts and nike shorts the first few days.

Have your money figured out.

Going into the semester with a certain amount of money you can spend each week or month is incredibly difficult if you don’t plan out your spending or at least a way to keep track of it.  Every paycheck I get for any kind of work, I deposit a tiny bit in savings and the rest in checking.  Anytime my grandma slips me a little bit of money or someone pays me for editing a paper I put most of it in checking and then the rest in a jar I call the “Shoes and Booze Fund,” which is basically just my fun money for shopping or going out.  Have some kind of plan to keep track of what your spending so that you don’t realize half way through the semester you have spent all of your money for the year.

Rate your professor.

Do it.  It hasn’t failed me yet.  The website Rate My Professor has helped me strategically swap out classes when necessary.  I tell you this with a little bit of caution.  This semester my schedule is pretty much fixed but I didn’t bother checking Rate My Professor until after the fact.  Apparently I am stuck with a woman who gave a straight-A college student her first B ever.  I am unable to do much about it.  Either way, it is helpful to know what you are getting into so that you know what to be mindful of in class.

Have medications updated and filled.

I don’t understand why but for some reason, it is so incredibly difficult to find time to go to the doctor when you’re in college.  It helps save you an inconvenient trip if you go ahead and have all of your medications ready for school.  This saves you from finding time during the week, missing class, and having to find a doctor locally at your university.

Investing in a day planner changed my life…and it could change yours.

I have never been one for day planners.  Four years ago I discovered Erin Condren.  She is a designer that makes these personalized and beautiful day planners that are for very organized people.  It turns out, when you buy a pricey planner for organized people that you think is so cute and impressive that you carry it every day, you start using it.  These planners run around $60 but they give you over a year, you personalize the colors and design, it has your name on it, and it is so incredibly specific that you will find that you have no choice but to be organized when you start using it.

Put your deadlines down the first week of school.

This may seem over the top but since I have an incredibly cute and organized planner, I started doing this every semester.  It may take a long time but I never turned in a late assignment after I started doing this.  When I got all my syllabuses for my classes, I go through all of the due dates and reading schedules and put them all down that week.  You never have to save the syllabus and you never miss a deadline because you will look at your great planner everyday.

Keep up with your grades weekly.

Most teachers use Blackboard and update grades regularly, if your teacher doesn’t, you can pretty much use the assignments you have turned in and the percentages for how much certain things are worth in the class and figure it out (this is always found in the syllabus).  Last semester I started keeping track of my overall grade each week for every class and writing them in my planner.  This kept me informed on what I needed to do and I pretty much knew early on what my final grades would be in each class.  It also helps you to see the progress you have made over time.

Make goals.

I am serious.  Make a goal for what you want your GPA to be, for all of the things you want to accomplish each semester, and then break it down.  Each week or month keep track of all of the things you need or want to do.  By writing them down, you will remember them better and you will probably attain most of them if you keep up with them each week and see them regularly. 

These were just a few of the back to school tips I have.  I hope they prove to be as helpful as they are for me.  Invest in a planner and pull yourself together before class starts.  Make resolutions or goals and by staying organized, you can stay informed.  Good luck this semester and find as much joy in your organizational skills as you do in those football tailgates.  Welcome back. 

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