By Nicole Marino
A new semester is always a fresh start. We are all taking new classes and coming back from a long and well-deserved winter break. With that fresh start comes new experiences, and the ability to create new habits. It’s the perfect time to create new goals and leave behind some things you may not have been happy with. I’ve found myself trying to create some realistic goals, and some completely unrealistic goals (like thinking I have the time to create Pinterest-worthy notes). After a few semesters of trial-and-error, I have found a system that I like to use at the beginning of each semester. With this system, I can best set myself up for a strong semester. I have four main suggestions that I’m going to share with you. Each of these things can be customized to your needs because we all have different things that work for each of us.
1. Make a list of realistic goals.
Photo Credit: Pinterest
So, having the perfect social life, strong academics, and 8 hours of sleep every night might not be the most realistic goal. It may be more useful to create smaller goals that you can create specific execution plans for. For example, my goal each semester is to make Dean’s List, which requires a 3.5 GPA. To achieve that, I need to get at least two A-’s and two B+’s, and then from there, I work out how I will do that in my classes. That’s a more achievable goal than something like “get better grades” because I know what grades I want to get. Some other examples of good goals for a semester are starting essays ___ days before it’s due, going to the gym a certain number of times a week, planning out each week individually, and making new friends. Laying out what specific things you want to accomplish is a great way to stay motivated throughout the semester, and knowing that you did them at the end is such a rewarding feeling.
2. Track your habits.
The two things I track over the course of the semester are my grades and my spending habits. The assignment tracker is relatively easy to make and can be done in Excel or Google Sheets. Both can be customized to fit your lifestyle and habits. For example, you can choose not to predict your grades, or pay attention to your cumulative GPA. You can organize it by subject instead of due date. It all depends on what works best for you.
There are plenty of budget trackers you can find online. They range from simple to complex. Since there’s a bunch of different kinds, it’s best to look at a couple and see which one you like the most, and which one you’re most apt to remember to use. You can even get an app that you can link to your bank account that tells you how much you spend in each category (Food, Gas, Health, Shopping, etc.) The two I’m familiar with are Mint and Spendee. Even if you’re not necessarily trying to save money, tracking your budget a great way to get a concept of your spending habits.
3. Organize your files before classes start.
I will admit that I’m a bit crazy when it comes to organization, and I would create an endless amount of folders if I could. No matter how many files you choose to make, it takes about 5 minutes tops and can save you a lot of time later. Why not set it up before you start getting files that you need to save? Remembering to save your files to these folders can also declutter your Desktop and Downloads folder.
4. Take time to plan out each week.
I like to look at my week as a whole, as well as each day individually. The planner I use for this is Erin Condren’s Life Planner. Each Sunday, I spend about 30 minutes going through my syllabi and writing down what assignments are due for the week in each of my classes. After that, I write in the times of my classes and clubs and delegate what homework I’m going to do each day. Finally, I schedule times to go to the gym. While doing this definitely takes a little time, it’s so worth it. Knowing exactly what assignments I’ll be doing each day and having my schedule set relieves a lot of stress. I see it as 30 minutes that I could’ve been doing nothing important on my phone, but with a huge pay off.
I hope these tips will help set you up for a great semester! The most important thing to remember is that there is no singular system that works for everyone, and you have to test some things out to see what you like. Starting out the semester organized can save time and relieve stress in the long run, so why not start today? Happy planning!
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