It’s 2024. It’s been 4 years since COVID-19 shut the world down. 2003 babies are turning 21 this year (Sorry, I’m biased!). The 2023 bingo card was wild. For us college students, a new year means a new spring semester; one semester closer to graduating. As ambitious students, we are prone to making common errors that will have our life surrounded by school. In today’s article, I want to give you some tips on how to do well in school and still have a thriving social life.
“No, I can totally handle 6 classes and a full-time job.”- A sleep deprived student, probably.
Tip #1: Know what you can handle
Every student is unique when it comes to workload tolerance, home life, work life, goals, etc. When it comes to scheduling out your classes, you need to know how much you can take on. It’s especially important if you have a job, whether part-time or full-time. Before scheduling your classes, take inventory of what takes up your time and when; time blocking is a useful technique that lets you visually see the time you have. Once you know your pre-existing schedule, you can better know when you can go to class. Not only is time in the classroom important, but so is knowing the class load- is it a paper heavy class, exam heavy, etc.?
Tip #2: Make time for you and only you
You must be the best you to be able to pour into your school and work, as well as your family and friends. Even if you are the most people-oriented person in the universe, you need time alone to be with and focus on yourself. Something I am personally working towards is having a day in the week where I do no homework, as well as a monthly solo day, where I get out and do something with myself to take a breather. Make time for you!
Tip #3: Work hard the first 4-6 weeks
The best advice I ever received from a professor is that the first 4-6 weeks are the most crucial. This is the period where students feel most motivated; in this time, it is important to meet every deadline and generally set yourself up for the best finishing success. It is no secret that after about 2 months, the desire to be done with school and go on break increases. When this happens, the quality of your work declines and the late submissions start. If you are dedicated for a solid six weeks, you can afford an incomplete assignment, or a missing a day of class as opposed to having a rocky start. Obviously, the goal is to stay focused the whole semester, but we are human, so why not help yourself out in the beginning so the ending can still be successful.
These are three tips that have changed the trajectory of my grades and mental health, and I hope they can be useful for you too.
We are all students aspiring after different careers and goals, but we know how it feels to be stressed or unmotivated. Lets all uplift and encourage each other so that we can have the best semester!
