What time is it, you ask? Well, it’s time for you to get back into the habit of organizing your life. Planning for the new semester when glancing over your books and syllabi can be the most frustrating feeling ever — overwhelming, even. Fear not, my fellow college friends. Following a few steps before your classes start can alleviate stress and prepare you for a great semester ahead.
1. Ever heard of this thing called “online calendars”?
Well, if you haven’t, let me introduce you to it. You see, the Internet offers a plethora of calendars that can be printed, synched to your smartphone or iPod and tailored to your needs. While many exist, I personally love Google’s calendar.
If you have a Gmail account you should be able to click on their calendar tab and use their format to fill in your class schedule, work schedule, TV shows and anything else that will help you stay organized. Even better, synced calendars to your phone can have Google send you reminders before your event takes place. We live in a great age of technology when your schedule doesn’t have to be scribbled on a piece of paper or stored in your mind. Utilize it, please!
2. Set goals for yourself before your classes even start.
Get into the habit of writing down goals that you want to accomplish, both long term and short term. Long term goals are things that take place over weeks, maybe even months. Short term goals are ideas that you want to bring to life over the course of a shorter period of time.
For instance, a short term goal can be that you want to earn an A on a test you’re taking in a few weeks. A long term goal can be that you want to achieve a 3.5 GPA, which would require you working hard all semester for this to be accomplished. Setting goals ahead of time has proven to help people focus better about the bigger picture, which is completely different for everyone.
3. Stick to a set sleep schedule.
College, as we all know – or may not know – can distract us from getting any sleep. Between our friends wanting to socialize, our homework, job and parents wanting us to update them about our lives, it’s fairly impossible to sleep. However, setting a strict bed time before your life is thrown into the whirlpool again will force us to get enough rest.
It is recommended that everyone gets at least eight hours of sleep a night, so try to stick around that time frame. Sleep is essential for our bodies to function correctly, and even for our bodies to heal themselves when we’re sick. Not getting enough sleep wears on the body, and can eventually get us in trouble health-wise overtime.
4. Plan to eat a balanced meal.
Let’s face it: pizza, ramen noodles and sub sandwiches are delicious; they’re fairly cheap and they’re easy to get. However, they’re also bad for our overall health, can cause us to gain a significant amount of weight if eaten regularly and it doesn’t help you to focus your life. Your body needs a balanced nutritional diet, just as much as it needs sleep and exercise. Taking care of your body when you’re younger may be harder, but starting the habit now will yield substantial results for you in the end.
Although these tips may seem obvious or small, they’re going to pay off big when the semester hits. Life is enough within itself, and the added stress of juggling college can distract you easily. Take the time to prepare yourself. There’s no harm in wanting to make sure your ride is a little less bumpy.
-Compton
I’m reading Managerial Accounting
Over the next three weeks, college students (and their parents) will spend more than $3 billion on the most essential of all winter back-to-school items: textbooks. The average student spends nearly $700 on textbooks for the new semester, but an increasing number are bringing these costs down by renting their textbooks instead. Textbook rentals hardly existed four years ago, but they now account for nearly 48% of all sales. By renting textbooks students can save 60-80% off the list price. Rent your textbooks from eCampus.com and see why so many students are excited about saving tons of cash this semester! To view the full infographic click here.
Back in my elementary school days, being a morning person came easily. I remember waking up at 6 or 7 am in order to hang out with my older siblings. But with each new grade, getting up early became more and more of a nightmare. By the time I was in high school and had to be ready by 7 am every day, I thought I would never be energized again.
In college, we have the luxury of making our own schedules. Though I still tend to go for the early side so I’m not stuck in class until 9 pm, many students opt to start classes in the afternoon and not finish until it’s dark outside. While it might be nice to sleep in, we need to prepare ourselves for the inevitable real world where we’ll need to be at work in the early hours of the day.
Have no fear! You can be a morning person without having to sacrifice sleep or going to bed when your grandparents do. Many of you may feel like you’re a night owl: at night, you’re most productive and motivated. Maybe for you all-nighters are a norm. While it’s great you’re getting your work done, wasting an entire day and having to spend your nights working will not only mess up your social life, but will get you in a bad groove for the 9-5 job you’ll likely have one day. So, it’s time to embrace the daylight.
Tip #1: Wake Up at the Same Time Every Day
It may sound simple enough, but waking up at the same time each morning, including the weekend, can be a tough habit to get into. Setting your alarm for 8 am every day and actually getting up when it sounds will take getting used to. At first, your body will protest. Your fingers will inch toward the snooze button and your eyes will immediately shut themselves again. But the more you force yourself to get up at the alarm, the easier it will be. Better yet, the more regularly you get up at this time, the easier it will be for you to fall asleep at the same reasonable hour every night. You can even make this step easier by gradually changing your rise time, pushing it forward 15 minutes every few days until you reach the desired wake up call.
Tip #2: Lights On
You know those days when you’re laying in bed after a long night, and the afternoon sun just won’t stop glaring through the windows, effectively keeping you from sleep? Well, now you can no longer curse the sun—or your regular bedroom light—because it is key in becoming a morning person. Light helps control our sleep schedules: we (hopefully) feel more tired when it’s dark, and the light starts to make us alert and awake. By either leaving your blinds open when you sleep, or putting a light on right away, this will effectively help keep you awake so you can begin your day.
Tip #3: No Late Night Coffee or Food Binges
Though as college students facing high stress especially during exams, a midnight snack shouldn’t turn into a 3-course meal—and if you want to wake up early, you probably shouldn’t be eating at midnight anyway. Eating large meals late at night will only keep you up longer, as will any Red Bulls or coffee runs. Save coffee for the morning and large meals for during the day and dinner time. This tip will also help you avoid the freshman-but-let’s-be-realistic-anyone-can-gain-weight-in-college 15.
Tip #4: Make Yourself Work To Turn Off the Alarm
By putting your alarm in another room (only do this if it is super loud) or on a desk on the opposite side of the bedroom, you will have no choice but to get out of bed to turn it off. Just like that, you’re a little more energized, a little more awake, and have no choice but to start the day. If you share a room with a roommate, this will further encourage you to get up right away to turn off the persistent ringing—unless you hate your roommate, in which case, you’re on your own.
Tip #5: Think Soothing
When it gets close to bedtime, you need to go into super relaxed mode. No more stressing and thinking about all the to-do’s of tomorrow. No getting caught up in a super lengthy movie that makes you more awake. No exercise that gives you an adrenaline and temperature boost. Instead, it’s all about the calm serene of peaceful sleep. Get a sound machine to lull your eyes closed. Meditate or try some relaxing yoga to ease the mind and relax the body. Take a soothing bath. Do whatever you need to so your eyes are drooping and your mind is quiet.
The road could be long and hard, but don’t give up on your ventures to become a morning person. It is doable and will lead to long, happy days of productivity and fun. Good luck and sweet dreaming!
-ToonyToon
I’m reading Understanding Nursing Research: Building an Evidence-Based Practice
Well, maybe not “the” million dollar question, but as a college student it does help to have a little extra cash in your pocket. Plus, working in college not only teaches you how to balance your life, but it also teaches you responsibility.
Before I went to college, I had this idea in my 18-year-old head that my parents should support me while I “ride the waves,” as they say. However, my father told me something that still sticks with me today: You’re never going to learn how to grow up if you’re constantly thinking that everyone else should pay for your “wants” instead of your “needs”.
Needless to say, at the time I was shocked they were saying this to me. I thought to myself, ‘Well, now I see who wants to kick me out of the house!’ But, I later realized that my parents were right. I have always been given everything I needed and wanted, but now it’s time to start growing up and learning some responsibility.
Are you able to even work with a full class load?
Of course! I began working as a freshman, and at the time I was taking 18 credits while majoring in both English writing and music. Crazy, right? Yes, but I learned very quickly that money surely does NOT grow on trees!
Can working in college help me after I graduate?
Actually, I can’t think of a better way for you to learn valuable job skills. You learn about how to work with people, manage your time, organize important documents and so much more. Plus, you can add your work experience to your growing resume, which is also a nice incentive!
Will this affect my grades?
Many students who work find that their grades improve due to their constant focus. A job forces you to make important decisions that you normally wouldn’t make if you have the extra free time. When you work 20 hours a week, you really don’t have the extra time to sit around and watch television all day. Besides, the only reason your grades would be affected is if you either a) spend too many hours at your job or b) poorly manage your time. The person in control of your academics in the end is you.
What else can working in college help me with?
Well, for starters, how about your tuition? Statistics show that over 90 percent of all college students either have to borrow money, take out a loan or have their parents pay for tuition that isn’t supported by financial aid. So know that you’re not alone in the pool. Many universities will offer an option for students to have their work study money go towards their tuition if you choose to work on campus. And if you don’t work on campus, learning to set a certain amount of your money aside for your education can quickly add up.
In the end, having a job in college is tough. Trust me, I know. However, the reward is great and the final outcome is even better. Taking the necessary steps to work in college can better prepare you for a job after college, graduate school and can teach you valuable lessons that you will need for the rest of your life. Never pass up an opportunity to grow and learn just because you don’t want to put in the necessary effort.
-Compton
I’m reading Annual Editions: Physical Anthropology 11/12
Facebook is not only used to stalk people you went to high school with and to keep in touch with current friends while in college. Collegiate athletes have been using social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to promote their games, to grow their fan base, and to communicate well throughout their team.
Aside from Division I basketball and football teams, college sports do not get too much recognition. It is a sad sight when you and your team are all pumped up for a big game against a rival and you look at your stands and see only a few parents and maybe someone’s boyfriend.
To rectify this situation, getting the word out about your team on Facebook is one of the best steps to take. Between 80 and 90 percent of college students are not only on Facebook, but also are daily active users. Creating a Facebook event a week or so before that rival game and having everyone on the team invite their friends is a great way to sell those tickets.
Creating a Facebook page for your team is another great way to gain support. Having a team member create the page and invite their friends, then have other teammates “suggest friends” to their friends could be a great way to keep fans involved. Posting statuses bi-weekly or even daily about recent games would remind college students of the game on their Facebook News Feeds, which is a place they are known to look when using Facebook.
Twitter is another great promotional tool. Having teammates tweet a link to the school’s athletic website is a great way to start, along with tweeting game information.
Within a team, creating a Facebook group is a step closer to great communication, and one step away from those pestering group text messages. Ensuring that everyone has and uses Facebook is obviously essential before doing so. Also creating the group based off of the roster is a must to guarantee no one is forgotten.
Finally, posting highlights on YouTube shows college students why they should go to your game. Getting a parent or the school even to video tape a game and having a film student edit it into a highlight reel could then be posted to YouTube and posted on the team’s Facebook page, tweeted, and posted by teammates.
Good luck this upcoming season and best of luck packing those stands!
-TravelBug
I’m reading Chemistry: Principles and Reactions
