When a new semester starts I always bid my friends farewell and tell them I will be a hermit until the end of the semester.
After years of taking things way too seriously, I realized I have been robbed of the finer things in life. I live my life in three parts: spring semester, summer vacation and fall semester. No matter how hectic my schedule is, I still need time for me and so does everyone.
The issue of no time always manages to present itself during the semester. I believe the secret to success as a student is being able to have a good time and managing school simultaneously. Parents and teachers are afraid to admit that it is okay to hang out from time to time. I don’t blame them; it is a student’s duty to map out their time sparingly.? If you want to have fun during the semester, there needs to be a balance between work and play.
A way to get by a semester that feels like it may never end is to work on your perspective. Approach it with the concept of the glass being half full. Rule number one: do not neglect your studies, the more you procrastinate the higher the probablity you will be left behind. Even if you can produce work at the drop of a dime it will not be your best and reflect your true capabilities.
Every now and then I muster up enough leg muscle to walk up to that brown building held up with monstrous columns also known as Oviatt Library. This brings me to rule number two: go to the library. Frequenting the library keeps bad grades away, or at least helps you semi-redeem yourself. If you have been victimized by procrastination, please go to the library. Something about the air in there gets the lazy out of me and I turn into a super student. If you lose the battle of balancing school and play I highly recommend getting caught up in there.
As a rule of thumb, set your own deadlines to get work done; you will finish ahead of schedule and have time to shoot the breeze. This will allow you to go on that weekend trip or sit at your friends house doing absolutely nothing, free of any worries. The purpose of those crumpled pieces of paper under your car seat or in your backpack also known as a syllabus is to help students. At the beginning of the semester move all your due dates up one week and you will bask in the glory of being done early and better yet on time.
Rule number three: know your study habits. Learn how to prioritize, build fun around your school schedule or incorporate it into your daily to do list. Set a goal of what you have to do before you hang out with your friends. Once the work is out of the way you won’t have to worry about finishing it at 2 a.m. You will be stress free and can go straight to sleep after a long night out.
College classroom attendance is fueled by personal will. Not having someone to harangue me into going to class or keeping tabs on my schedule is refreshing and a curse at the same time. Even though it is the last thing you want to do on some days you will feel better about it before you go to sleep. Rule number four: show up to class.
Just because you are a student does not mean you have to constantly be doing work. It is okay to break the monotony. Set aside a couple of hours a day to recoup, gather thoughts and bring yourself to a good mood. Have dinner with friends, watch a movie, listen to some music on your iPod when you are doing homework let yourself have some down time.
Incorporating these little things into your schedule is a big deal and can make a world of difference and that dreadful semester won’t seem so long.
