Do you remember being younger and watching your favorite YouTuber’s back-to-school hauls and Q&A videos? Because I definitely do. My YouTuber of choice was always Alisha Marie. She delivered the best back-to-school content, and every once in a while, I go back and watch a video of hers just to feel something. I think it is common to crave the nostalgia of the 2014 era of YouTube where the back-to-school content boosted our eagerness to return to school and gave people, or at least me, a little bit of purpose and drive for the school year.
With all that being said, I hope to deliver the same build-up and excitement for the fast-approaching fall semester due to my favorite YouTuber being very far removed from student adolescence and no longer prompted to provide back-to-school content. I want to accept the torch and fill the void left behind by sharing useful tips to prepare for the new semester.
- Stay Organized by Building a Spreadsheet of Every Assignment
My first tip is dedicated to all of my fellow procrastinators. Procrastinating is the bane of my existence, yet I always fall victim at least a tiny bit throughout the semester, and this is by far the most helpful tip to curb my enthusiasm for avoiding assignments. Once your professors post their syllabus, build a spreadsheet (I prefer to use Google Sheets.) Go class by class, and input every assignment into the spreadsheet and their corresponding due dates. Once all the assignments are placed, color code by each class and sort the sheet by the due dates so they are now in order. If you are more of a visual learner, here is a TikTok showing the process. Now, your assignments are right in front of you, so there are no excuses for forgetting or waiting until the last minute. P.S. You can bookmark your spreadsheet for easier access.
- Go on Campus
This may seem very obvious, but I know that actually going on campus can be a struggle for some… or maybe just me, but I seriously doubt it. When I hear the words “attendance is not mandatory” from a professor, I feel pure bliss – but avoiding campus must be stopped. I encourage everyone who reads this to utilize going to class (with a few personal days off here and there) and studying on campus. This tip is useful for many reasons. Being on campus puts you in the mindset to work, so it is great for study days and productivity (my favorite on-campus study spot is the library or Mochas & Javas btw.) It is also a great way to meet people and make new friends. This is a tip that I will be taking to heart this semester.
- Balance
This is the most important tip I have in preparation for the semester. It can be difficult to balance between school, friends, and even work. It can feel like you are being pulled in multiple directions, yet you want to prioritize the things that matter to you. The best advice that I can give to make college as informative as it is fun is to find ways to be social and scholarly at the same time by making a friend in class to make the process more enjoyable. Study dates on or off campus with your friends and having a set time to study and having “gossip breaks” are also ways to balance your social and academic needs. Most importantly, being aware of the course load and difficulty of class material can help you create a soft schedule throughout the week to determine how much time you need to reserve for each class and devote your time outside of that to the social aspects of life and other priorities.
The fall semester is coming up quickly, and having a prepared mindset is already making me have a more positive attitude towards school this year. I hope these tips are as useful to you as they are to me and provide you with more encouragement towards school. But if you still need your fix of nostalgic back-to-school videos, I got you.