Written by Madalyn Chapman and Zachary Dalton
We’re well into 2020 at this point, and already two weeks into to the semester! Here are four tips to help you stay on top of your coursework this year:
Create a schedule that works for you.
This may seem obvious, but not everyone operates on the same time length. Many professors were kind enough to give a schedule of the semester during the syllabus week. Utilize this and create a schedule that works with you and your own personal work ethic.
Keep a planner!
Keeping a planner is an essential part of staying organized. Not only does this allow you to keep track of your assignments, but it also allows you to write in meetings, your work schedule, and anything else that you have committed to in a given week. While I prefer paper planners because everything is in one place and easy to find, you can do this digitally as well! Google Sheets templates have an “assignment tracker” that you can use to write down all of your assignments. You can keep appointments, meetings, and other obligations in a calendar app. Make sure that you regularly update this planner. You can each weekend to update your planner for the coming week. It doesn’t take long, and helps you keep track of everything you have going on.
Take time for yourself.
While your academics are traditionally the most important thing in college, they’re the second most important. The most important thing in college Is yourself and wellbeing. Don’t be afraid to take an hour or two to watch that show you like, or to take a little nap, or even play some games! Keeping your mind healthy and happy will tremendously improve your work ethic and focus to crank out those long assignments.
Clean your room regularly, or keep it clean!
A messy room can be a sign of a messy mind. If your room is a disaster and looks like a hurricane went through it, there is a good chance that your life is just as chaotic. If you keep your room clean, you’ll feel better when you walk into it. You feel like you are on top of things (even if you aren’t) and that can put you into a mindset where you can get some serious work done! Not to mention all the time you’ll save by knowing where things are instead of digging through piles of things to find it.
Eat, eat, eat!
This cannot be stressed enough, but your body needs food to function and thrive. Eating three meals a day can help your health and mentality. If your schedule doesn’t allow for a trip to Commons or even Cav a good thing to work on is meal prepping!
The final and most important thing is to not give up.
It gets discouraging when you feel like the work is just too much but keeping to your schedule can help you break through.
Have a great semester!
