Welcome Back Tips!

It’s the start of the new semester and things are starting to look up, as warmer weather is (hopefully) approaching soon and class loads are looking a little easier to handle. Use this positive energy to your advantage and start this semester off with a bang! Purchase your books and other supplies; p.s. Amazon has some great deals for used books if you look hard enough. Get your notebooks organized and maybe even organize your cluttered desktop, physically and digitally. Now is the time to set yourself up for success! On that note, I don’t have much to write about in regards to the break, as it was personally mundane and I have a nasty case of writer’s block. Below are some other tips to starting this semester off on a good note: 

1) Prepare Meals Ahead of Time When Possible 

Eating healthier meals instead of relying on pasta and take-out can affect your mood! Your gut has a bigger impact on your overall mood than one may think, and what you put into your body has a direct impact on your cravings. Keep this in mind and prepare meals ahead of time to keep yourself on track. Plus, there’s nothing better than coming back to a home-cooked mealーeven if you have to heat it up. 

2) Get Your Bag Ready the Night Before 

This is especially useful if you are a commuter because forgetting something you need for class and not realizing it until you drove to campus is the worst! It can affect your focus and just put you in a bad mood if it was something super important like an assignment that was due. This also applies to any snacks or goodies you may plan on bringing; if you have a long day without time to eat lunch, bringing some snacks for class may help you focus more on the lecture and less on your growling stomach. 

3) Double-Check Alarms!

Missing a class, exam, quiz, or presentation sucks. This is especially important when you have an exam that you know you’ll be up late studying for. Setting alarms when you think about them for the next day or making it a habit to do it before you drift off is key to giving yourself enough time to feel like you’ve got a handle on the day ahead. 

Courtesy of Pixabay

4) Go to the Syllabus Week!

I have the worst case of senioritis this semester and I have considered skipping the first-week countless times, however, I know attendance will allow me to ask questions and fully understand what the class is asking of me before the chaos of the semester begins. It’s also a good transition from break into school as it’s a relatively easy week where assignments are rarely given and lectures are hardly started. 

5) Utilize a Planner

If you don’t have one they are, fortunately, they are cheap on Amazon. They are super useful and I personally rely on it religiously as a student who participates in multiple extracurriculars, research, classes, and work. It allows me to keep track of it all and say, “Oh, I have an exam next Tuesday, but I am working all weekend so maybe I should start prepping now.” A bonus tip is to sit down at the beginning of each month, as well as each week, and update any new deadlines. This makes it easier to tackle things at your convenience instead of stressing when the professor announces they’re collecting an assignment that you haven’t even heard of let alone completed! Trust me on this one…. it’s not a good feeling. 

Courtesy of Pixabay

I wish I had some more tips for all of y’all, but as I mentioned earlier, the writer’s block has me stumped. I hope these are useful to even just a few of you. 

Signing off, 

         Ashley

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