The semester here at William Paterson University is coming to a close in just a few weeks. Most students, including myself, are looking forward to the summer break. Every semester can bring on a challenge in different ways, which can easily lead to burn out, stress, and less motivation. Here are some ways I’ve found it easier to stay on track, stay motivated and eliminate stress during each semester.
Stay Organized
Before a semester begins, I make sure I have my planner organized by class. One thing that keeps me organized is color coding my planner. I have a small assortment of colored pens, and each class I have for that semester will be colored differently in my planner. Once the semester has commenced, it’s easy for me to tell what course subjects I have to work on for the week.
Another organizational tip is to prioritize your assignments by importance. If I have a math assignment given and due the next day, I will work on that first before beginning a project due in a few weeks. This gives me more time to plan for my future projects and eliminate last minute stress. It’s important to always check the student portal when you have time to always stay on track, and write down any assignments coming up. Writing things down is the easiest way to remember things.
Planners are also very useful to stay on schedule for upcoming club meetings and events!
Set Goals
I find it easier to stay motivated when I have a long-term goal I want to reach. For example, if I know I’m taking a difficult class for the upcoming semester, my goal would be to pass the class to my fullest abilities. This would cause me to work harder to reach that goal.
Goals can be different for everyone. Whether your goal is to get more involved in clubs, join a sport, or try something new, the end result can be rewarding. It’s easy to become unmotivated when you’re unsure of what the future may hold. Small goals can be the easiest way to stay motivated, focused and positive.
Set a Routine
It’s not easy to follow a routine, but it doesn’t hurt to try. Whenever I am creating my schedule for the upcoming semester, I try to keep my classes starting around the same time everyday. This makes it easier to keep up with a proper sleep schedule. If I have a Monday class beginning at 2 pm and the next day my class starts at 9 am, it’s easy to have an unbalanced sleep schedule. As college students, it’s hard to uphold a proper amount of sleep per night. However, waking up around the same time everyday forces me to not sleep in and create a consistent morning routine.
Change Your Perspective
College can be stressful, but it’s important to remember why you’re there in the long run. Don’t let failure get in the way. If a goal was not met, you failed a test, etc., try to change your mindset and remember that these let-downs are all apart of the journey. No matter how overwhelming things can get, remember that you are not alone. As a whole, college students are in it together. We are all experiencing stress, burnout and disappointment in different ways, but we are all here to achieve greatness in the long run.