Once again, it feels as though the semester is slipping through our fingers. We find ourselves scrambling to adjust to early morning wake-up calls and late nights, finishing papers. It can feel like the apocalypse could rain down tomorrow, but it wouldn’t matter because, almost halfway through the semester, you have a 10 page essay due that just has to get done.
Don’t freak out. Although it may seem as if everything handed to you by a professor is an impossible task, getting back into “school-mode” takes time and is going to be frustrating, but you’ve been able to do it before the semester gets the best of you.
There’s no doubt that school is important, but taking care of your mental and physical self is just as significant.
As college students, we tend to forgo a proper meal for a power bar or a few cups of coffee. However, preparing a small meal like a salad, or even a bag of trail mix, is a better option.
We also forget that we need real sleep. Setting a bedtime is a good way to make sure we get in more than just a power nap to rest our bodies. If our bodies are healthy, our brains are healthy, which leads to a successful semester.
Staying organized is also key. Buy a planner and jot down deadlines for homework, projects, and exams and set aside times to get class work done at home or on campus. Procrastinating is every student’s worst enemy, which, in turn, leads to rushed work and unnecessary stress. Staying on top of all your important dates is going to make the semester easier to get through and will help pass all your classes.
Possibly, the most important thing for a great semester is to have a balance between schoolwork, actual work, and friends and family.
Assignments can get overwhelming and for those with job commitments, it can seem like there’s just no time for anything else. Seeing friends and family is an easy way to get rid of any tension caused by school or work.
Taking a weekend off, or even just one night off, can be the difference between a bad week or a good week. Being around people we actually care about lightens up our mood and when it’s time to start the week again, we start off eager to get things done as best we can.
Being a college student is difficult and adjusting to an academic environment can be exhausting. We all come to class and then go off to tend to our personal commitments.
However, what’s important to remember is that a successful semester isn’t just about the A’s but also about ending the semester glad that you reached your goals and didn’t drive yourself crazy at the same time.
