I'm not sure about you guys, but I start my sophomore year of college next week! So I have compiled a list of things every college student should be doing (yes, Seniors, Juniors, Sophomores and freshmen) their first week. This list will help you start the semester off right, you can also refer back to this when you're feeling burnt out during the school year for a sort of recharge.
Since we have a lot more free time in college it's easy to spend your time not being productive. To ensure that you're making the most of your time and meeting your goals create a daily schedule. I personally use Google Calendar because it's on my phone and it reminds me of each event 10 mins before. Everyones schedule is different but you should include the time and where you meet for:
- Classes
- Practice
- Study time
- Lunch and dinner
- Work
- Gym
-Homework time
Assignment list
Once you get your syllabus from each class make a huge list of when every assignment is due. This insures that you wont miss anything and that you can plan out when you're going to do each assignment. Plus, you could also finish some assignments early, just make sure you don't lose them!
Read through the syllabus more than once
Often times when reading something once we can miss out on certain details or even key points. Read your syllabus in a quite space alone and take your time. This will insure you know the rules, professor expectations, how the class will work, etc. My freshman year I took a class and didn't read the syllabus all the way. I had no clue we had to go to the art institute, write a paper and photograph ourselves in front of the art work. Luckily, some friends told me about it and we had it finished long before it was due, my professor didn't even mention the assignment until a week before it was due. Don't depend on your professor to tell you everything, read the syllabus. If you want to take this a step further you can make a syllabus cheat sheet.
Organize your room
Having an organized space is so important especially since college can be stressful and hectic. Not having an organized space will make you frustrated and feel hopeless. If you have a roommate you should always keep your side clean and tidy, because things get lost and stolen. If you know where you keep everything and where everything should be your semester will go a lot smoother. Plus cleaning will go a lot quicker since you know where everything goes.
Get textbooks
It's best to make sure you know you need the textbook, before you go out and purchase it. Some professors don't change their syllabi every year and they may not use that book anymore. On the first day of class the professor will typically say what you need and what you don't need.
Make a roommate agreement
If you're living with someone this is very important, this lets you both know boundaries and also just how to respect each other. You don't want to wait until the middle of the semester because that can make things very awkward.
Go to as many campus events as you can
Campus events are so much fun! As the school year goes on events on campus start to slow down so have fun now while you can.
Organize your binder, planner and computer
Once again staying organized will help you in the long run, if your using old binders, clean them out and put in all your new material. For your computer you can delete any old files from previous semesters and create new folders for each class.
Optional
Make a friend in class
This could help in the long run when you're sick and need notes or just a study buddy. Build a relationship with at least one person in your class it will also make classes a lot more enjoyable!
