With school back in full swing (RIP summer, gone too soon), it’s time to get back into the groove of taking 16 credit hours, staying active in extra-curriculars, being social and staying sane. Ok, so you and I both know that staying sane usually never happens…but new year, new me, right? The first few weeks back always feel like a whirlwind of overwhelming chaos. I’ve come up with a few things that are important to remember, yet easy to forget, as you settle in for the new year:
Exercise
I cannot stress the importance of exercising during the school year. Often, we all come back to school with these great plans for exercising multiple times a week, but once you factor in a couple of exams and a 10-page paper, exercise usually gets put on the back burner. I know my excuse usually becomes, “well, I walk like 6 miles a day, can’t that just count?” Not that all of that walking doesn’t count for anything, but taking 30 minutes out of your day to run a mile and do a couple of strength exercises will do wonders for your mood, stress levels and overall physique, in my experience. Make time to care for your body.
Partying
College is a very liberating time in the lives of young adults, and often this leads to the experimentation with drinking and party-life. While I don’t intend to condemn these activities, I want to remind you that it’s O.K. to not be into it. I’ll tell you right now that I’m not. Nothing about it appeals to me and while I’ve come to understand it’s not a popular opinion, I’m okay with that. You don’t have to go out every Friday night to party. If you want to, go for it, have fun! But please never feel that you have to conform to the stereotypes of the average college student to be “cool” or have friends. I promise you there are other ways to have fun if partying isn’t what you’re into. It’s O.K. Though the freedom to do whatever you choose might seem exciting, remember to make decisions that are best for YOU, not your friends or love interests.
Time Management
As classes begin to overwhelm you with assignments, group projects, exams and papers, it is SO important that you learn how to manage your time. You know all those people who seem to always be attending all the social events despite the work load you know they also have? Well they are either a Jedi with their time-management or their GPA is sinking slowly. Don’t be the latter. Get a planner, buy a bunch of sticky notes, make a to-do list. Find out what ways help you get things done and use it to your advantage. It seems borderline impossible to have a social life and get good grades, but it’s made a lot easier with organization and planning.
Call Mom and Dad
Perhaps the most overlooked (or just the opposite, depending on who you are) part of college is remembering to talk to mom and dad every now and then. It’s true that you should branch out and not always rely on them, but they raised you for 18+ years, fill them in on your life every so often. Plus, they’re usually good at making you feel better on the rough days. Sometimes if they know things aren’t going so hot, they send care packages in the mail (honestly the best feeling ever). So fill them in, thank them for their support, and say hello at least once a week — you’ll never wish you hadn’t, only that you had.
Photos courtesy of theluxuryspot.com.