How To Start The Semester Right?
It’s that time of the year again. After several months of summer break, it can be challenging to get accustomed once again to the hustle and bustle of academic life. But don’t fret.
Regardless if you’re on campus or taking an online class, we list down essential tips to start your semester right.
5 Tips to Start Your Semester Right: As Told By Advisors and Students
- Develop Sleeping Habits
Go to bed early at night. Follow a schedule. And start your morning right with a decent breakfast. A sleeping habit is essential not only for health and wellness but also to rewire your brain to a fixed school-life routine.
A healthy sleeping habit requires keeping a consistent sleep schedule, allotting at least 7 hours of nighttime sleep, establishing a relaxing bedtime routine, refraining from distractions such as the use of gadgets, and avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and large water intake before sleeping.
- Sweat It Off. Eat Properly.
Healthy body. Healthy mind. Studies show that maintaining a level of physical fitness and a balanced diet can be substantially beneficial to both your physical and mental health. Regular exercises improve overall mood, alertness, and thereby, your ability to learn.
A diet rich in essential nutrients bolsters further your sense of physical and mental wellbeing. Of course, never skip breakfast and lunchtime. Timely and proper meals give you the required energy to tackle the day and can even keep you going during stressful times.
- Anticipate The Requirements
The syllabus that comes with your enrolled course helps you anticipate the activities and requirements during the entire course duration. Reading this essential document gives you a head start on what to expect and gives you time to plan.
It is also better to identify early on all the resources you will need to meet your course requirements. Take care of your textbook duties. Organize all other required reading materials. Doing some advanced readings also helps in course familiarization.
- Connect With Your Classmates
One important thing to remember to succeed in life: we get by with some help from our friends and peer. Getting to know your classmates can be very helpful for raising questions or clarifications. Study groups can be a great way to explore difficult course topics.
You’ll be with your classmates for a considerable period. It would also be better if you could hang out with them or have some catch-up conversations. Plan your social life around these people and remind each other to take breaks.
- Organize Your Schedule
Though it may seem mundane for most of us, organizing your schedule can make a big difference. List down your tasks and activities for a given week. Plan your life around your deliverables and social commitments.
You can use notepads. However, app-based notepads and calendars provide an inexpensive way for you to organize your schedule and access your to-do list and notes across all of your devices. Most note-taking apps, such as Evernote, also have checklist and reminder functions.