Now that the winter break is over, it may be feeling difficult to turn off “break mode” and get ready to take on a new semester of work. Even though we are in week 5 already, it can take time to adjust. I don’t know about you, but I am still finding it hard to re-adjust to school life after being away from school for nearly a month. I’m sure you can all relate.
For some reason, I almost feel more out of it after the winter break than after the summer – maybe because the end of August is full of back to school ads and YouTube content. Either way, getting your mind and body back into the swing of school can be tough. Because of this, I thought I should compile some tips that help me, and hopefully, they help you too!
- Going to bed earlier.
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This may seem obvious, especially if you have early classes, but I think it is often overlooked. During the break, I consistently went to bed late. Like, after midnight late. Now that school has started, I know that if I continue to go to bed late, I’ll either sleep in or be extremely exhausted. By going to bed earlier, I know that I will get a good sleep and feel ready to take on the next day. It may be hard to change your sleep schedule at first, but once you start creating a routine of winding down earlier with something like reading or doing a skincare routine, it will get easier!
- Committing to a night routine.
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Having a nighttime routine goes hand-in-hand with going to bed earlier. Since I usually have trouble calming down enough to go to sleep early, spending some time unwinding and relaxing at night helps me. Whether you want to spend some time doing skincare, reading, journaling, meal prepping for the next day – or anything else – I recommend putting an end to homework and screen-time a couple of hours before bed. Try to do this every night and then you will get used to it, and your body will start to know that bedtime is approaching!
- Planning work ahead.
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I am obsessed with planning, as you may know if you have read some of my other articles. While you may not be as big of a planner as me, I really think that planning ahead can help to not only save time but to motivate you. When you get your syllabi at the beginning of the semester, try to write all your due dates and readings down. I organize mine in a little table by date in Microsoft word and then print them out. Then I know exactly what is due when and can start to plan what to work on. I also suggest trying to work ahead when you can. This is pretty easy to do at the beginning of the term when you have less work. Try reading ahead or finishing little assignments, and your future self will thank you.
- Prepping your meals.
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Another part of planning ahead is meal prepping. I have always been inspired to meal prep by Pinterest and YouTube – and I finally did it. Whether you live on campus or commute, prepping your meals ahead of time can help to not only keep you from eating out or eating unhealthy foods, it also frees up some time each day. I prepared my dinner for the week on Monday and simply reheated it each night – cooking once but eating four times! I also try to prepare a lunch snack for longer days so that I don’t have to rush or eat out and can spend more time working on assignments.
- Cleaning your room.
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A little less of a back to school routine hack, but keeping your room clean and tidy is still a helpful tip for setting up a routine and a successful day. I find that keeping my room tidy, even just by putting my clothes away at night and making my bed in the morning, helps me to feel ready to take on the day and less stressed. When my room is messy, I feel less focused and end up spending more time tidying up. If you keep your room clean all of the time, you can spend more time doing what matters most – doing homework and hanging with friends.
There you have it: 5 tips to help you get back into school mode. I hope these tips help you to feel confident in tackling everything this semester brings, from waking up for 8:30am classes to working late into the night to finish assignments!