YouAlberta
I have always found the winter semester to be way more challenging than the fall semester. It comes with short, cold days and right after a winter break that never seems to be long enough. All the “new year, new me” hype really makes me want to start the year right and do better in school, but after a week of minus thirty degree weather and the sun setting at 4 pm all I want to do is go home and sleep. The pressure between wanting to do well and also being burned out from the fall semester makes me dread the start of winter classes.
Even though I still struggle to find motivation some days, I have figured out ways to help myself stay determined and finish the school year on a high note.
1. Set small achievable goals
One of the worst feelings is writing a very ambitious to-do-list and not being able to complete it by the end of the day. I know I am not going to be able to write three chapters worth of notes in one night, but somehow I still end up writing the task it in my planner! Setting up unachievable goals ends up being so unmotivating and stressful because now you feel like you’ve fallen behind! Writing an achievable, realistic to-do-list you will give you peace of mind and maybe it will even give you the momentum you need to get ahead and start the next day’s goals. So get your coloured pens out and get ready to cross out everything on that to-do-list!
2. Figure out what works for you
At the start of the year my plan was to start the new decade right by waking up at 6 am to go work out every morning before class. Spoiler alert: it didn’t happen. I could not bring myself to get out of bed, and after snoozing my alarm for the first week of classes I figured I had to try something new instead of forcing myself to do something that clearly was not working out for me. Instead, I planned to go with my friend to the gym after class every day, which worked perfectly for both of us.
This applies to study habits as well. For example: If you’ve always found it hard to go to school on the weekends but you think that you should start doing so in order to be more productive, maybe start by going at a comfortable time for you, this way you’ll have less excuses for why you are not sticking with it. Making small gradual changes you are able to sustain for long periods of time is way more productive than radical changes that last a little while.
3. Find fun things to look forward to
From coffee dates with friends or even planning a trip for reading week, having a reminder that life is not only school work and deadlines helps take the pressure off the day to day life. Being able to balance school and a healthy social life is very important for me. I really like being productive on the weekends and also finding time to do something I enjoy but don’t have time to do over the week. Planning a study date with a friend and then going skating is always a fun way to stay active, hang out, and keep up with school at the same time!
4. Challenge your last semester’s GPA
What could be better than some friendly competition with yourself? My GPA has always gone down a little in the second semester. I told one of my roommates about it and she said that in order to stay motivated she always tries her best to do at least as good as she did in the fall. Becoming your own competitor is a healthy way of pushing yourself to do what you already know you are capable of (because you’ve done it before) but now you can do even better.
5. Stay organized
Using a calendar and writing out all your assignments and tests at the very beginning of the semester helps you visualize how busy your weeks are going to be beforehand, so you can prepare better. Knowing what is coming up and being able to plan ahead for it is key if you want to stay on top of your school work and not fall behind. It is also motivating to see the less-busy weeks and recognize that you’ll also have time to catch up and relax. When you have a game plan everything seems simpler!
Being aware of what is keeping you from doing your best in school and looking at it as a starting point of what you should change is always a good way to start off any semester. It is also important to find a balance between being ambitious enough to challenge yourself and do better, and being realistic enough not to set yourself up for failure.
Take advantage of all that New Year’s resolution energy and combine it with what you already know works for you.