Fresh Start

Since it's now a new semester, it's a perfect time to start fresh. How many of us start the semester saying, "this one will be different! I really am going to give 100% to my grades and shoot for that 4.0!" Probably all of us! But why not really do it? There really is no time like the present. I was always one of these people who always said this until last semester, when I decided to quit making excuses, buckle down, and focus. I decided to write this blog post with some tips on how I went from being all talk to all walk.

1. Make a Master Calendar- So this week, the teachers will give you your syllabus and schedule. What I did last year was create a calendar on Word and post every single due date for every class I was taking. It only took about an hour and it was really helpful to have done for all year long! 

2. Make a Schedule- Staying on schedule is so important. If you have a break between classes, why not dedicate that time from reading over you notes? A little studying every now and then really does go a long way.

3. Choose Your Job Carefully- This one might be a bit more tricky, but if you can, try to get a desk job where you can study on your down time. Yes, these jobs exist. You can literally get paid to study. Jobs such as receptionist jobs, on campus jobs, and student worker jobs are the types that you want to look for if this seems like something that would help you. If definitely helped me!

4. Study Groups- My roommate Catherine and I have a kitchen table, so we studied there often. My friend Emily would come over a lot, and us three would (attempt) to do school work together at the table. I'm not going to lie, we'd get off subject sometimes and just chat, but we did get a lot of study guides and note cards done through the chatting. If you'd rather hang with friends then study for that exam, why not do them at the same time?

5. Think About This- Last year, a teacher of mine told us something we all obviously already knew, but for some reason it made me think. "It might be your parents, it might be you, or it might be the state or scholarships, but it doesn't matter who it is, someone is paying for your education and spending money for you to learn. Don't waste that money. Pay attention while you are here." She's right though. College is fun for the partying aspect, but at the end of the day, we are here to learn and we're paying for it. So why not give it your all and do great this semester!

I hope something in here helped you! I hope everyone has a great semester. Thanks for reading!

xoxo, Al