Kicking off the new semester in a new year can be daunting. Even a few weeks into the new year it can be hard to find your groove again when it comes to classes and school work. That’s why we turned to our PBdorm Ambassadors to share their 4 foolproof steps for getting the semester off to a productive (and fun!) start. Here’s what they had to say…
Step 1: Get Prepped
Start off by prepping for all the classes ahead. By getting your affairs sorted out before classes really heat up you put yourself at a major advantage…
- “Declutter!” says Ambassador Rachel. Clean out old items (like that Halloween costume) and stash them with your parents for now – only keep the items you’ll need for this semester.
- “Order your books ahead of time! Nothing is more stressful than starting class without the things you need (been there…)” – Ambassador Emma
- “While it’s still early in the term, plan everything out long-term. If you use a planner, write out all your due dates and test dates. Don’t let anything catch you by surprise.” – Leslie
Step 2: Get the Right Tools
In addition to ordering all those books before midterms creep up (yep…we’ve waited that long and we don’t suggest it!) you’ll want to get the essentials ready to go like your planner, calendar, fresh pens, etc…
- “Get new school supplies: a new planner, a notebook for each class, color-coded folders, things that youspecifically will be excited to put to use.” – Leslie. We love this one, and Leslie’s totally right – fresh pretty supplies can help keep you motivated!
Step 3: ORGANIZE. ORGANIZE. ORGANIZE.
Now that you’ve got those fabulous supplies you gotta put ‘em to work…
- “Pick a color for each class to buy a notebook, book cover, note-taking tools, etc. If you like to only carry around one notebook, use different colored pens and post-its to easily differentiate between different classes. “ – Leslie
- Ambassador Caroline adds “From assignment planners, to color-coordinated notes, having some color will keep you upbeat and interested, not just organized.”
Step 4: Don’t forget to sort out the personal stuff
- “Re-organize your closet. Unless its 80 degrees where you go to school, you can probably put away you flip flops to make room for some of your bulkier winter clothes.” – Emma
- “Don’t let your laundry overflow! It causes so many problems: a messy room, lack of clothes, a heavy trip once you finally do it, and all around lazy and behind feeling. Whenever you find a few minutes of free time, even if you feel like you don’t have a full load, just get it over with, because you will thank yourself later.” – Caroline
- Don’t forget the little things…“Address emails as soon as they come in instead of “marking as unread”’ says Emily
- And finally we love this tip from Patrick… SLEEP!
What are YOUR tips for kicking the semester into high gear? Be sure to share in the comments below!
I find the hardest thing that really helped me over the Semester break was to not be idle over it. I kept a good sleep pattern and found fun winter activities that’d both challenge my mind and body to keep me primed for a new semester.
I like the big on sorting out personal stuff and having the right tool the 4 tips above are definitely aces.