With the holidays being over, and the new semester upon us, it is important to set yourself up for success early for the next 4 months of school. Here are 4 tips that help me stay successful for the rest of the school year.
Get Organized
Getting organized can mean different things for different people. A few of the things I like to do are getting new notebooks for each new course and outlining all of my assignment deadlines for the term. I typically print out all of my course syllabi and add all of the assignments and tests into a digital or paper calendar. I use a different colour for each course so I can easily see when things are due for each course. Another thing I like to do is get my study resources ready for the upcoming term. This can mean buying textbooks, or downloading free study resources like Minute School.
Develop Good Habits ASAP
It’s easy to blow off class during the first couple weeks because we often tell ourselves that the professor “won’t get into the real content yet”. Even if this is the case, it’s important to go to classes to get yourself used to your new schedule. If your goals include exercising or eating healthy, start doing so right away!
Fit in Social Time Early
I always make sure to fit in lots of time to be social and hangout with friends during the beginning of the term before school starts to get busy. Before you know it, you’ll have multiple assignments and midterms to battle, and you might have to tell your friends you aren’t able to hangout. If you spent the first couple of weeks fitting in some social time, you won’t feel as if you’re missing out as much when you start to get busier.
Plan Your Meals
Maybe doing a full meal prep session isn’t your thing, but planning your meals can actually be super helpful when the term starts to get busy. If you don’t have time to plan meals, or prefer to decide what to eat spontaneously, at least stock up on your favourite snacks just in case you wake up late or are in a rush one day.
Setting yourself up early can help the rest of the semester run smoothly. I hope these tips help you to have the most successful term possible.