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Planning You Need to Start Right Now

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Stacey Oswald
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Vanderbilt chapter.

 

The semester just started back, but if you think that means you can just take it easy, you are in a world of wrong. If you want your social and career lives to be at their best, you need to start planning for things now to avoid future stress.

  1. Summer Plans. Even though it’s barely January, the spring semester will be over before you know it. You don’t want to be scrambling to make summer plans by the time April rolls around, especially because by then, spaces will be taken up and application deadlines will probably have past. Applications for many internships and study-abroad programs during the summer are due surprisingly early, sometimes as early as February, so it is to your advantage to start thinking about what you want to do now so you can apply, get your resume in order, and cozy up to your professors for some killer recommendations.
  2. Spring Break: Vanderbilt Spring Break is always ridiculously early, and it would be super boring to be stuck on your couch at home while a bunch of your friends go party in Cabo, hit the slopes at Whistler, or volunteer for Manna. Make arrangements now while you still can! This way, you’ll be able to book hotels and flights at good rates and avoid being left behind.
  3. Spring Formal: Three words ladies: plant the seed. Sometime between now and mid-February, identify your target date(s) for formal so you aren’t struggling to get set up with a rando last minute. Also, if you are like most people, you probably lazed around all winter break indulging in delicious homemade goodness and would benefit from starting an exercise regime ASAP. You don’t want to be panicking when you realize that formals are at the beach, which means bikinis, and more importantly, pictures of you in bikinis. Plus, you want to have a killer cooler, which means preparation; those things require a surprising amount of money and time!
  4. Academics: Spring semester can be a crazy-fun time if you let it, between spring tailgates, spring break, Mardi Gras, formal, and having new members in your sorority. Make sure you plan early so you don’t have to miss out on anything trying to finish paper, or worse, end up doing really badly because you were too busy having a good time. Don’t forget that Vandy is all about the work-hard, play-hard mentality.
  5. Your Big-Little basket: If you just pledged a sorority, aren’t in one, or are an upperclassman, this doesn’t apply for you, but for all of the sophomores out there preparing for big/little reveal, start assembling ASAP. If you want to be the best little on the block, fill your basket with adorable shirts, cups, stickers, and wooden letters. The Big/Little Connection group on Facebook and Etsy has lots of cute ideas for things that your future little is sure to love! 
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Stacey Oswald

Vanderbilt

Stacey Oswald, originally from South Florida, came to Vanderbilt as a member of the class of 2015 and got involved with HerCampus her freshman year. She became assistant editor that year and is now the Campus Correspondent for Vanderbilt HC as a sophomore. Stacey is currently a columnist for Ask Miss A- Nashville and the life section of The Hustler. She's also very involved in her sorority, Kappa Delta, as well as Invisible Children. Outside of school and her extracurriculars, Stacey finds happiness in many sources, the most crucial being exercise and the sun. She loves to attend exercise classes and is an avid runner; she recently completed the Country Music Half Marathon. She also loves Vitamin D, especially when on the beach- though of course, she only soaks up the sun after applying SPF. A few of the things Stacey couldn't live without? Good food (especially from Sweet Cece's, Bricktops, and Samurai Sushi), great books (The Hypnotist's Love Story is a recent favorite), her family back in Florida, her wonderful boyfriend, and all of the great friends she's made at Vanderbilt.