Although classes only started two weeks ago, I already have felt out of control with my course load. Honestly, it was slightly out of character for me, and my school stress was mainly due to a lack of preparedness on my part. For whatever reason, I simply had not anticipated the beginning of the semester.
When I started to feel overwhelmed by my work and the daunting semester, I took a step back, bought myself a planner (I forgot mine at home), and focused. And after just a few hours of organization, I feel ready to conquer the next 14 weeks.
If you feel like you’ve entered a downward spiral so early in the semester, take a deep breath. Now is the time to take back control! Here are a few tips to help you take a moment to prepare and center yourself for the remainder of the semester…
Create a routine
I live and die by my Google calendar. As a student-athlete, intern, and perfectionist, my life would crumble without the structure my regimented routine provides.
While you do not have to go as far as scheduling every moment of every day, creating routines will help you keep your day—and thus your weeks and semester—on track.
You cannot always depend on your will to study. Getting into the routine of studying in the library every day from 9-12 am will provide a fail-safe for when school starts to knock you down. So, create routines and stick to them!Â
Write. Everything. Down.
No matter how good your memory is, I do not believe that you can remember every single assignment that you have. There is no way. You are so smart and capable, but you are setting yourself up for failure.
Take two hours and write down all of your assignment due dates in your syllabuses either in your calendar, planner or spreadsheet. It’s a daunting task, but once you’re done, you will get a full view of your work load and it will help you stay organized and ensure you don’t forget any assignments!
Plan!
Now that you have all of your assignments listed out, plan out when you are going to do them! Be real with yourself. If a paper is going to take you 4 hours, you should start it at the beginning of the week not the day before.
Get yourself a planner put it in your calendar or both. (I prefer both). Estimate how long an assignment is going to take you and schedule time in your day to work on it.
Luckily for you, you know when all of your assignments are due. So, if four papers are due in one week, you can plan ahead and start one or two early.
Make it enjoyable
I do have to admit that I thoroughly enjoy my coursework. My STEM friends cannot comprehend why I’m creepily grinning at my laptop as I type out a report on AI or edit a video. Of course, the grind is much more bearable when you enjoy the work.
However, if you are suffering through BIO101 or Organic Chemistry (God bless you), there are ways to make it less horrific. Try studying in a new place or forming a trauma-bond study group with your classmates.
Also—possibly unpopular opinion—but there is no shame in changing your major! If you absolutely hate what you’re learning, start exploring different interests! Get excited about something new! You are not trapped. It’s your life. Enjoy it!