Every semester is a challenge in its own way, especially for freshmen students that are just figuring things out. You have so much freedom and so many choices to make, but as a wise man once said: “with great power comes great responsibility.” It’s important to balance your schoolwork and your social life, but that’s easier said than done.
GO TO CLASS
I know how easy it is to make a habit out of sleeping through your 8AM class, but remember: you’re paying tuition for it! Skipping class is like pouring money down the drain… money that you’ll probably have to pay back later any way. Not only will attending class help to balance out your academic life, it will also give you a major GPA boost.
GET SOME REST
We all like to have fun; whether that means going out with your friends, playing the new video game you just blew your paycheck on all night, or maybe just being hyped up on caffeine. The bottom line is we all get crabby when we don’t sleep and it affects us on every level. Even though it may not always be the most fun option, it’s probably the smartest: get some sleep!
CALENDARS ARE A THING
Let’s face it: you simply cannot memorize all your due dates. Between schoolwork, your other job(s), school organizations and everything going on in your social life, there’s just no way you can remember everything in your head. You don’t want to be the one who wakes up at noon on Saturday and completely forgets he switched shifts with a friend last week. It sounds old school, but it might be a good idea to get a calendar. You can get a paper planner if you’re more of a physical person, or create a digital, customizable one using Excel or Google Docs.
USE YOUR RESOURCES
Here at BSU, we have a good amount of resources for every student. If you have a big math exam coming up, you should take a trip to Math Services located in the Academic Achievement Center of the Library. When 10-page paper is due and you don’t quite feel completely confident with it, then bring it to the Writing Studio (which is also in the AAC). Not to mention, there are tons of fellow students and grad assistants who tutor in their free time. Check the bulletin boards around campus for ads.
How do you guys stay on track during the school year? Have you ever had trouble staying focused?
