After a long break off from school, it’s always hard to get back into the swing of things and stay focused on classes, assignments, and upcoming projects and tests. Even though the transition from a relaxing break back to a busy semester can be tough, there are some simple ways that you can stay on track and make this one of your best semesters yet! Like anything else, it takes time to get back into the groove of things, but with these five tips you should be set to hit the books and get studying!
- Set a Schedule
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The first and most important tip for getting back into the school mindset is creating yourself a schedule with all your classes, club meetings, and other activities planned out for the semester. It’s most helpful to immediately put in your class schedule seeing as that most likely won’t change over the course of the semester, and you’ll have to plan other things around them! By having a schedule, it allows you to easily see when you have time for different activities that might not take place every week, and when you have time to get homework done. Having your specific outline of classes helps for you to structure other events around those, that way you aren’t overbooking yourself and you’re aware of what you have to do!
- Stay Organized
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Without organization, you’ll start to feel overwhelmed and all over the place without a general idea of what is due when for the general assignments you have to complete. It’s also important to keep all the information for papers from other classes. One of the best organizational tools that is useful is Google Drive and Google Calendar. Both of these applications allow you to color coordinate your events, as well as set times, create folders, and so much more! It’s one of the best systems to use since everything stays in one place, and with most assignments being online now it gives you easy access!
- Color Coordinate
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Along with adding your information to Google Drive and Calendar, it’s important to color coordinate the events that way you can easily recognize what each one is created for! For instance, when putting in class times to your calendar, pick a different color for each class that way you’ll easily be able to tell which classes you have and when. This also is a helpful trick for meetings, deadlines, and other events that you may schedule here and there. By using the different colors it not only helps to make your calendar easier to read, but it also makes it look nice too!
- Create To-Do Lists Each Week
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Each week, or maybe even each day, it’s helpful to create a to-do list of all the things you have to accomplish for the week/day to come. There is no better feeling than checking off something on this list once you finally complete it and can move on to the next task. This will allow you to have everything laid out in front of you all in one place so you can keep track of all your assignments in one spot. Using a to-do list specifically can also help you to feel like everything is well managed, since you have a clear vision of the things you need to get done.
- Make Time for Social Activities!
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Last, but certainly not least, while getting back into the schedule of school is incredibly important you also need to make time to socialize! While your studies remain at the top priority, seeing your friends and taking part in events outside of learning is beneficial to your mental health. By utilizing all of the tips listed above, it makes it easier to spend time with friends while knowing what else needs to get done. Remember, you’re all in this together so lean on each other!
