This next school year is sneaking up! Hopefully we can have a relatively 'normal' school year this year... and hopefully you feel prepared to take on a year of college!
However, if you do not feel mentally prepared for this next school year, here are 6 tips to start the year off right:
1. Breathe
Easier said than done, right? I recommend taking some time to relax before you start the fall semester/quarter. Some people may be able to take a week+ vacation in Hawaii to completely decompress and relax. Many students do not have that luxury unfortunately.
Whether it is half-a-day doing absolutely nothing or a weekend camping trip- take time to get out of our regular routine. It is so important to feel refreshed before going into the next school year. You need that energy, trust me! I remember one summer I worked as a camp counselor, and then left immediately to go back to school to start working my on-campus job. I was already burnt out before the school year began!
Rest, you're going to need it!
2. Make Goals
The next step in starting the semester off right is to make your goals. What do you hope to accomplish this year? the next 10 years?
Something I have done that has been beneficial is writing my long-term goals down in a journal so that I can regularly look at that to remember my purpose. Start with you life goals- what do you hope to accomplish in life? Then get more and more specific. Write about your 5 year goals- maybe you hope to have your career started by then or you want to be in graduate school. Then I would think about your 1 year plan and then your semester plan. I know this seems like a lot, but it has been incredible for me! I stay organized and I am able to remember my priorities.
You do not have to do this exact process (of course) but I would suggest writing down your goals before this next school year starts (whatever that looks like)!
3. Plan
Now that you have your goals, you need to plan on how those goals are going to happen! It's nice to have goals to study more or learn the guitar, but if these goals are not incorporated into your weekly schedule, they are not going to happen! Schedule your study time into your week- physically put it on your calendar! This helps you remember that you need to study and you can also say "no" to things that may prevent your goal from happening.
It may take some work trying to plan out what your weeks will look like, but after the first month of school, it gets a lot easier!
4. Get supplies
What do you need in order to be successful this semester? Do you need a journal to write down your goals? Do you need a calendar to write down your schedule? Textbooks, notebooks, or a backpack? It is helpful to have your supplies together before the semester starts so that you do not have to spend the first week going to the store or waiting for amazon deliveries.
I would say that one exception may be textbooks. There have been semester where I buy all my books, only to find out that the professor put the wrong book on the syllabus or we never used the book. Be cautious buying books without doing your research about the class first!
5. Ask for advice
Ask upperclassman about their college experience and try to see if they can provide any tips. They may be able to help with some tips for studying for classes or buying textbooks. Asking other mentors for advice before the school year is also beneficial. They can provide some insight because, well... they have some life experience!
6. Have a positive attitude
My last tip to you is to have a positive attitude. It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by all the new school year activities and obligations. My encouragement to you is to seek help when you need it and have a positive mindset! You can do this! I know that you are going to do great things!
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