You graduated, you survived frosh week, and you've gotten through the first few weeks of classes. The hard part of first year is over, right? Unfortunately, keeping up with classes, homework, and assignments is a year-long commitment. With the added responsibilities of socializing, sleeping, and eating, it may feel impossible to stay afloat.
How are you going to keep up with it all? How are going to juggle all the aspects of your life? We're here to help you make first year a breeze, and give you some pointers to help you organize your life.
1. Make an Agenda/Planner
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Throw it back to your elementary school days and crack open an agenda! Writing down all the things you have to do lets you plan, sort, and organize what you need to. It also allows you to see all the tasks you have to complete at once. Being able to see everything you have to do lets you easily prioritize your tasks. Plus, checking things off of your to-do list is satisfying AF.
2. Be Consistently Organized
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You made a planner, you decorated it, you wrote out everything you had to do this week, and you feel amazing! But you have to remember to stick with it. It's super easy to forget about planning and just sleep and Netflix the day away, but it's definitely not going to help you with school. By keeping yourself accountable, you keep yourself on track and make sure you can go out on Friday without stressing over that upcoming English paper or chemistry midterm.
3. Make a Schedule of Due Dates
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One of the best things I do at the beginning of every semester is to chart out all my due dates for each class I'm taking ahead of time. Sit down and go through the syllabus, writing down all the important dates. Whether you note it in a planner, calendar, or spreadsheet, this will ensure that you know about that biology lab ahead of time.
4. Plan Your Time Accordingly
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A wise teacher once told me, "time management is the most important thing in school". As boring as that sounds, it's true. The biggest grade killer in university is cramming and last-minute effort. Regardless of what you have on your plate, taking the time to do your projects and assignments properly can often be the difference between a C and an A. When you know what days your assignments are due, you'll be able to set aside a few hours that week to dedicate to them. This will give you better creativity, better focus, and a better grade!
5. Start Ahead of Time
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Starting ahead of time is equally important. If you have three weeks to do an essay, don't start it in the third week. When you space out your time to work on projects and assignments, you'll stress yourself out less. By starting projects when they're actually assigned, you'll be able to balance more. Being able to go back to an assignment after a few days or a week gives you new perspective, and could even spark the incredible thesis that'll get you an A.
6. Plan Your Breaks
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One of the biggest mistakes you can make is not taking breaks. We know that you're probably living in the library and running around campus from class to class. At the same time, breaks are just as important as your homework.
It's important to step back and give yourself some time to chill, eat, socialize, and sleep. Eat healthy meals that will give you the energy to keep up with your work. Get enough rest so that you're actually taking notes and not napping in class. Hang out with your friends. If you spend all your time working and studying, you'll burn yourself out
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Organizing your life is incredibly important. It helps you stay on track for success. Learning how to balance everything in your life is one of the most important skills you can learn and is one of the best ways to make your first year the best year!