Currently in my second semester as a freshman in college, I’ve made a lot of adjustments to my daily schedule. Last semester, I became disoriented trying to figure out how to adapt to my new surroundings and lost sight of my priorities. If attendance wasn’t required, I would skip my class. I would make promises to myself that I would watch the lecture online, but I often never followed through with them. I developed the bad habit of putting off tasks and finishing them all in one weekend. I also had the worst sleep routine of my life. When finals season drew near, I recall sleeping from 3 a.m. until 3 p.m.. I know that the college lifestyle is commonly depicted to be very draining, but that doesn’t have to be the case for you. Developing more fruitful habits may require some time and patience, but I’ve been rewarded with growth and improved wellbeing. I’ve developed the following habits to help me feel better about my daily routine, and I still don’t regret them!
Reboot your sleep schedule
I’ve gotten really good at sleeping around the same time every night. I try to sleep by 1 a.m. at the latest. I know that the workload of the average college student isn’t pretty, so I understand how sleeping by 10 p.m. may be slightly unattainable. However, I think everyone should prioritize how much sleep they get every night. I wake up before 8 a.m. everyday regardless of what time classes start for me. This has helped me feel better about my sleeping habits. I also suggest starting to take napping more seriously. Set a timer for 25 minutes, and you’ll wake up feeling like a brand new person.
Fuel yourself every morning
Before college, I would never eat breakfast. I would always use “I’m not hungry” as my reason not to have anything in the morning. I’ve realized that I actually feel better when I make myself something to eat after waking up. Not only does it help me feel productive, but I feel like my diet is more balanced this way. I’m less likely to snack on heavier foods (I’ll never turn down an occasional sweet treat though) because I fill my stomach up bright and early. If you need some inspiration, try out greek yogurt bowls topped with granola, fruit, and a sweetener of your choice. I’ve been having that for breakfast every morning, and it’s now my current fixation.
Seize the day by making your bed
Making my bed every morning is less so about making my room look more presentable and more about forcing myself to stay away from it throughout the day. I feel less inclined to rest on my bed whenever I stop by my dorm in between classes. Of course I’ll nap here and there, but I never mess with covers and I sleep on top of my blanket instead. I don’t want to get too comfortable in my bed during the day, otherwise I’ll never leave.
Dodge your dorm
Staying away from my dorm was one of the harder things for me to do. I had to learn the hard way that constantly staying in made me lazier and more likely to procrastinate. With my bed constantly in sight, I never felt motivated to be productive. Nowadays, I try to use my lounge, new cafes, or spots on campus as a reason to stay out of my dorm. If you hold yourself accountable and avoid your living space, you’re more likely to feel pressured to do work and make good use of your time.
Experiment with study techniques
I’ve recently just learned the value of trying out different studying techniques to figure out what works best for you. Simple note-taking may work for your friends, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the most effective way of learning for you. Personally, I’ve found that annotating my readings is very helpful. Furthermore, if you’re like me and have multiple courses that assign weekly readings, try alternating between different readings every 30 minutes. This way, you’re less likely to lose interest in the material and your brain is stimulated. I’ve also started to use the active recall method to help me understand concepts foreign to me, including math lessons. Give new study methods a try and cater to your needs!
If your last semester looked anything like mine, I can tell you now that it’s absolutely possible to turn over a new leaf now if you really want to. Start your transformation today and you’ll never feel bad about your routine again!