Getting back into college after a long
summer break can be as exciting as it can be difficult. Imagine all the pain
you had to endure during your finals last semester and the relief you felt when
it was over. Now you have to go through all of that again and start using your
brain more than ever, because a new semester is just around the corner, waiting
to give you a hug.
While it’s not as bad as you might
think, there are ways to make it easier on yourself. After all, you’ll be
facing exams, papers and projects sooner than you think, so it’s good to think
ahead and be prepared for it. Luckily for you, we have some tips and tricks to
get you back into that student life more easily.
Think positive
Let’s get the obvious out of the way.
You’re going to college, not Hell. You’re attending college to learn new
things, meet new people, and develop new skills and most of all: to be a better
person tomorrow. The degree you’ll get at the end is just a byproduct of all
the years of work you’re putting into attending lectures, writing papers and
studying. It’s about the journey, not the destination; try to make the most of
it while it lasts.
Reflect on yourself
It’s easy to think about our current
situation without realizing all the things that happened in the past. Think
about your experience in college so far. What are the things that you’re proud?
What do you think you can do better this year? What do you want to stop doing
because it took too much time and made you feel bad? Think about all the things
you’ve already learned and what’s ahead of you. Make sure that you’re aware of
the progress that you’re making with each day spent as a college student.
Keep a schedule
Start using a planner as soon as your
classes start, keeping all the information and to-do in the same place. If
you’re using your phone or laptop often, you can even keep sticky notes on your
screen to make sure you always keep in mind what’s next. It’s easy to get lost
in the first few weeks back, simply because you’re out of shape and forgot how
it all feels like.
Eat and sleep
Summer was fun and you could over-sleep
even on Tuesday, but with college starting again, you need to get back into a
healthy sleeping cycle. Often you’ll have late nights because of exams and
papers, but until then, try getting back into a healthy routine of going to bed
on time (not “three o’clock in the morning” on time).
Same goes for food; you have to eat
properly. Eat less junk food and more cooked meals. It will help you sleep
better and think clearly because your metabolism will work properly.
Exercise daily
As ridiculous as it may sound now,
exercising daily, even for a few minutes of stretching, will do wonders in the
long run. Remember all the time you spent studying and writing papers on your
laptop? This means less physical activity and that’s bad by definition. Try
jogging for a few minutes each day and increasing the time bit by bit. If
casual exercising and jogging isn’t your cup of tea, you can always join the college
sports teams and make it a routine. You’ll gain friends and feel good about
your body.
Think small
Going through all the books, papers and
projects that keep piling up can be challenging. Consider planning your time so
that you can do a bit of work every single day. This will help you to not
overwhelm yourself when exams and deadlines come closer. By that time you’ll
already do the majority of work waiting for you and wrap things up neatly.
Today it might be two hours of reading, tomorrow two hours of writing. It’s no shame to ask for help, you will find it here: http://www.grabmyessay.com/, so
don’t hesitate to do so. Plan your week and you’ll be set.
Take breaks
While it seems like the easiest thing to
do, it really isn’t. Taking a break isn’t going to a party and coming back to
your room at six in the morning. It’s taking an hour out of your busy schedule
to not do anything, simply sit on your bed, listening to music and drinking a
cup of tea. You need to make sure your mind is well rested. Playing video games
and going to parties won’t do that; it will only strain you.
Involve yourself
We’ve mentioned sports already, but what
else can you do when college starts? There are endless opportunities and
activities around the campus (and the city) that you can get involved into.
Some of them are volunteering opportunities like charity work or library assistance.
Others are guest lectures, online and local courses about all sorts of
different skills, reading circles, etc. There’s always something going on when
college starts, and it’s up to you to figure out which of these activities will
help you in letting off some steam from all the studying.
When all is said and done, the most
important tip for getting back into college is taking each day at a time. Take
a step-by-step approach, at least for the first few weeks. Make sure that
you’ve got all of your bases covered and that your schedule is well planned
out. The worst thing you can do is procrastinate for weeks until you realize
that it’s been a month since the semester started. By then it could be too late
for some subjects and exams. College is a place where you have the opportunity
to develop yourself to unimaginable degrees; but no one is going to do it for
you. Clench your teeth, put a smile on your face and keep going forward; that’s
the only way to go.
