5 Ways to Start the Semester Strong

I'm three weeks into the Spring semester and have just started to get into a routine. This semester I'm taking three labs, 16 credits, and nearly all upper level classes so my workload has increased dramatically from previous semesters. I've come up with five ways to stay on top of my school work and start the semester strong. 

1) Plan
The first thing I do once I receive my class syllabus is go to my planner (it's a weekly layout) and insert big dates. These are class cancelations, test, paper, and project due dates. Then weekly I write down big dates on my whiteboard in my room. These are smaller things such as "pre-lab due on tuesday" or "chapter 18 for friday." I'll do a whole video on my personal planning, but just any planning will make your life easier. It helps you see where your big dates are relative to other big events and also helps you use your time wisely. 

2) Make Friends
Once you start getting into major specific classes or upper level courses, it is so important to make friends. These are the people that will study with you, explain things to you, and will be around for the next few years. On another note, if your classes are in huge lecture halls like mine are, it's also nice to have people that can save you a seat if you're running late! 

3) READ
A lot of times the semester starts slowly then builds and builds and builds. It is so much easier to do well when you have a solid base of information. Stay on top of this material and maybe even try to get ahead. USE YOUR TEXTBOOK. Especially if you have questions or need extra problems. 

4) Ace the First Test
Most of my classes are graded solely on tests. If you can ace the first test, you already set the bar super high for yourself, but you also give yourself a bit of wiggle room in case you mess up on a future test. The material on the first test is usually the introductory/review material, so if you can get a good grade with the easy stuff, you're setting yourself up for success. 

5) Get into Good Habits
Maybe your workload is really low right now. Maybe it's insane and you have a ton to do all the time. Either way, start getting into habits that will set you up for success further down the line. This might mean getting homework for certain classes done on a certain day (i.e. I do all my physics hw over the weekend) or getting all of your homework done before a certain time (I try my hardest to not have to do homework after 9pm). If you're already burning out and pulling all nighters, you will not have a fun semester. Get into good habits and start setting some routines that will help you be successful. 

Let me know in the comments if you have any tips to start the semester strong! Also, follow this blog on bloglovin for more lifestyle, beauty, and college related posts!
-Sienna