It doesn’t matter what year you’re in; there is always room for improvement. Think about it, what is something that you could’ve done better last school year? Most students have at least one. Maybe it’s scoring higher on tests, performing to your max in sports, or pursuing a hobby you’ve always wanted to start. Either way, those things are all glamorous goals that can be aimed for in this upcoming semester.
However, in order to realistically reach those goals (if you have any), some things may have to change. For instance, similar to what Spider-Man says in Spider-Man 2, we have to give up the things we want the most to do what’s best. College kids love to sleep, but you may not get it in excess if you want to change your outcomes for this school year.
Which brings me to this: Here are five good habits that can help you do better this school year.
1. Wake up Early
Let’s kick off by discussing the beginning of the day, shall we?
You see, on average, the college student wakes up at 9:00 AM. It makes sense considering the average class would start around 10:00 am for most students, but is 9:00 AM early enough? Yes, if you’re just trying to get to class. No, though, because if you want to learn effectively and be better this school year, more time for your brain and you to wake up will help.
Let’s look at Jennifer Lion’s blog to see what waking up early can do. Waking up just a couple of hours earlier improves our health and mental health, decision-making, and productivity, just to name a few. All factors that can make or break performance in class, let alone an entire school year.
Of course, the caveat is that waking up that early is a tough commitment, but don’t fret! The rest of her blog dives into tips on waking up early, so if you want to start waking up early, then check it out!
2. Manifest a Better School Year
Here’s a thought, if you know what you’re aiming for, then achieving it is a lot easier. This is the exact reason why so many successful people talk about Manifestation. It’s the idea that whatever you think can be brought into your life will be brought into your life through your own willpower and pursuit. So think positively and have the willpower to believe that you’re going to achieve the things you desire.
Setting goals is one way of manifestation. Many people before have manifested fame, success, money, glory, etc. And those are long 10+ year roads towards things that may not be tangible while in college. In 4 or so years at college, you can manifest whatever you want as long as you put in the work, and it’s tangible for a college student.
Now, I’m not going to sit here and praise manifestation like it’s guaranteed to give you your hopes and dreams. It’s merely just a mindset under the surface and requires a lot more work on your part rather than thinking something is going to happen.
Manifestation honestly deserves its own article for how much goes into the silly little word. A big part of it is your subconscious mind. For a student in college, the subconscious mind can be manipulated into ways that make a better school year. Make sure to remind yourself that you can do it and what you’re aiming towards should go into your mind every day! Definitely keep the idea as a tool in the toolbox.
3. Do an Activity Everyday
Imagine yourself in a routine where you do something you enjoy at least once a day. For some, that may be taking time to play video games, write, take pictures, or play pickle ball. Studies show that having a routine like this actually makes it easier to combat stress and anxiety.
On a personal level, I always make sure to lift weights at some point every day during the school year. Making this a key part of my routine during this time is essential since I lose the uncanny freedom to go outside and exercise often. Not to mention, it makes me feel accomplished and healthy, both physically and mentally.
Once you settle your bearings, find something that you’d like to do every day and try to stick with it. It doesn’t have to be a huge commitment like lifting weights or reading ten pages of a book, either. Something as small as writing in a journal or on a positive sticky note to yourself can be just as valuable in a routine.
4. Plan Time With Friends and Set Dates
It’s a wonderful feeling to see the end of a particular week, behold fun times with friends.
That alone should be enough motivation to plow through the week of school, but in order to do so, you must plan the time out first. If you don’t set dates and times to hang with your friends, you may end up conflicting times with other friends and have to choose between two events. Choosing is never good for one’s mind.
If we take work into consideration too, planning ahead allows time for you or someone else to get a shift off. FOMO (fear of missing out) hits even harder when you have to miss out AND go to work.
So if you have friends that live close or far, set times to look forward to on the weekends, which leads me into the final point.
5. Finish Homework Before the Weekend
Sunday, 11:59 PM. That is the deadline for most homework in college, which is likely online work. For the love of god, do yourself a favor and slave away during the week so your weekend is stress-free.
For the time you’re not in class, use the awake and productive hours you have to learn and finish some assignments. Procrastinating the assignments does nothing but cause anxiety and build upon a bad habit. A study even showed that assignments (essays) turned in last minute resulted in a 5% grade drop.
On top of all that, after a fun weekend, you can use Sunday to wind down. Clean your place, sleep all day, or do some more planning ahead! Anything where you better yourself is superior to doing homework the day before going back to school.
I Hope you have a Better School Year!
Take these tips with a grain of salt, as these are in no way needed to have a better school year. Honestly, maybe this would do the opposite if you were focusing on doing this stuff more than school itself.
All in all, just think about YOU and what’s needed to have an amazing school year. I’m hoping that at least one of these things can improve your life, health, and well-being at school to make it your best year yet!
