Parrrrrrtaaaaaaaay!!!! Hello, hello, hellooooooo my party people! I hope your homecoming was as eventful as mine. Homecoming season is by far my favorite season in the fall school year. I have to say my favorite event during homecoming week was the 12-5 in the Student Center aka the Stu. There’s nothing better than having a grand old time with your friends, eating some great food from the food truck vendors, and seeing all of the alumni relive their college days at Hampton. Now that all of the festivities are over it’s time to get down to business.
Sadly homecoming is now officially over. After homecoming is the time right before thanksgiving break and even closer to finals. We just recovered from midterms and now it’s about that time again to lock in and finish the semester off strong. In order to help make sure we’re all on track to finishing the semester strong here are a few tips to help you along the way.
Tip #1: Plan Ahead
Planning ahead can save you so much time and confusion later on down the line. Having a detailed schedule is very vital to making sure that you structure enough time to sufficiently complete all course work and assignments. Within your plan set academic goals for yourself. There is nothing better than being able to check things off your list as you complete them. This will also help you stay organized which leads us to tip #2.
Tip #2: Stay Organized
Staying organized is one of the most important component to having not just a successful semester but a successful school year. Making lists, using a planner, keeping a clean workspace, even color coding are all ways to help you stay organized throughout the semester. When making a to-do list don’t pile all of your assignments into one section. Instead make a weekly list to help you stay focused on the assignments that are coming up soon. This will help you easily manage your time and assignments in an organized fashion. When it comes to main thing a clean workspace this can determine how efficiently you will be able to get your work done. I for one can’t operate let alone work in a messy environment. Make sure to keep everything put away and stacked neatly. Avoid having any unnecessary papers or books in your space that you don’t need for the assignments you’re working on. This will prevent any chaos when trying to find your notes or papers from you classes. Color coding will be you best friend when it comes to staying organized. I color code everything from my planner to my class notes to even my classes them selves. Color coding will allow you to easily find what you’re looking for and will avoid any clutter that may come from keeping all of your things in one section. Next lets talk about prioritizing and managing your time with tip #3.
Tip #3: Managing Your Time
Living the life of a college student can be very busy. Especially if you’re involved in multiply organizations and clubs on and off campus. It’s very easy to lose track of time when it comes to trying to balance you academic work and your social life. When it comes to studying one technique that I use and find very helpful is the Pomodoro Technique. Using this method has been my go to when it comes to studying. I am not the best when it comes to studying and staying on track. The way that this method is formatted is you set a timer for 25 minutes. Within your first 25 minutes you work on one assignment none stop until the timer goes off. Once that timer goes off you take a short 5 minutes break. Now it’s important that you avoid doing things Ike using your phone, eating something heavy, or anything that will make you lose momentum. Instead take a restorative break like getting a light snack and some water or enjoy the sunlight. Once your 5 minutes are up set another timer for 25 minutes and repeat the same steps as before. After you’ve complete about 4 or 5 rounds instead of taking a 5 minute break you’ll take a 30 minute break. This will give you enough time to rejuvenate your energy. Once that 30 minutes is up you start all over again with setting a 25 minute timer. To summarize this technique lets break it down into steps.
1.) Pick one task to work on
2.) Set a 25 minute timer and work on that task none stop
3.) Take a 5 minute restorative break
4.) Set another 25 minute timer and repeat steps 1-3 4 to 5 times
5.) After completing a set take a 30 minute break to rejuvenate your energy
6.) Start over at number one
This technique not only helps you stay focused on one task at a time, but it also helps you practice time management. Next let’s talk about our common enemy procrastination in lastly tip #4.
Tip #4: Avoid Procrastination
The majority of us students have experienced procrastination in some shape or form. Procrastination is one of the most common reason why people in general don’t complete task on time or at all. It is very crucial that you overcome this barrier to finish this semester strong. One way to overcome procrastination is by breaking your tasks down into smaller and more manageable secontions. In order to find the right strategy that works for you I would recommend experimenting with different techniques and find what best works for you and your academic needs. Now I know it’s easier said than done but with these tips dealing with this issue will become easier to manage
Although these aren’t the only tips to help you succeed for the remainder of this semester, but these are a great start in finding your way through this academic journey. Remember that it’s very important to take breaks and not try to cram everything into one sitting. Manage your time wisely and push through any barriers or obstacles that’ll try and get in your way to finishing the semester off strong. Well that’s all for now. Good luck students!