With the new year, we all tend to be inspired to make some beneficial changes in our lives. Implementing these alterations, on the other hand, doesn’t always go quite as great as we had hoped. When I arrived back at school on Sunday, I thought I was totally ready to start the new semester off strong. I wanted to jump back into everything full force. My first day of classes changed that. All new buildings, professors, and class times proved to be a bit overwhelming (especially with my last class of the day being all the way past Westgate).
On the mile long trek back to my dorm, I took the time to think through why I was feeling so overwhelmed. What had I done last semester to manage my stress? Then, I realized I had missed a few key steps to making my first day run more smoothly: routine and organization– my secret ingredients. Since I had a very different schedule this semester, I wasn’t able to implement my old daily routine, but I hadn’t taken the time to create a new one either. Establishing routines throughout your day or week can be crucial for eating healthy, getting enough sleep, and managing stress levels. SAOTG also explains that starting a routine at the beginning of the semester can help you to stay on track later on when your schedule gets a bit more hectic.
One thing that I always incorporate into my morning routine is making a list of everything that I want to get done that day. It’s really more like revising the list (since I don’t always get everything done the day before). Usually, I just use the notes app on my phone, but I have heard some great things about the app Notion. You can customize the app to make various lists and journals, as well as make it super aesthetic. While the more advanced options cost money, the basic package is completely free. I am thinking of trying it out just because of how nice all of my friends lists look. On my list, I include class assignments, laundry, shopping, cleaning, etc. I also revise the list throughout the day to add or check off tasks as I get to them.
One other thing I definitely recommend doing at the start of the semester is setting aside some time to edit your calendar. I like to go through the syllabus of each class and add in all of the major exam and assignment due dates so I won’t get caught off guard my anything. I also include reminders about the assignment a couple of days before it is do. I once again just use the calendar and reminders on my phone, but here is a list free app options if you want to change it up. Just by making a list and organizing my calendar, I am already feeling less stressed. So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed at the start of this semester as well, maybe take a little extra time out of your day to organize.
I absolutely loved this post; as someone who is constantly trying (and struggling) to get themself organized, the whole thought process that you detailed greatly resonated with me. A friend actually told me about Notion at the beginning of the year – seem like everyone is using it – and I tried it out for a bit; personally, I’m more of a paper planner type of person, but I have been trying to get myself to do exactly as you described: writing down a list of all of the things I want to do on a given day, checking them off, and revising said list the next day.
Kudos to you for starting off with this topic – it needs to be addressed, and I think there needs to be more resources out there (not just apps) for helping – actually teaching – students how to plan (and REALISTICALLY).