Do you want to survive the first week of the semester? If yes, then you have come to the right place! If no, then you definitely need to be reading this! I’ve created a lovely guide of sorts that will guarantee your success at the beginning of this semester.
Have Fun
Yeah, I said it! The 1st 1-2 weeks of the semester usually consist of professors going over their syllabi, professors telling you what books you need to buy, and etc. This means that the workload is relatively low and you will virtually not have any homework, assignments, or projects to do. In all honesty you will probably be pretty bored so. . . you might as well go to that college basketball game friday night, plan a day out on the town with your besties, and make some friends in your classes (because we all know that comes in handy when you need help with math homework!). Take advantage of this free time because you most likely won't be seeing it again in such an abundance until break!
Buy School Supplies
Everyone, including your professors, know that college students are probably struggling a bit financially, so they understand if you have to wait last minute to buy your necessary school supplies. Some professors also prefer to wait last minute to tell students what they need which can either be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how soon you need it by. The point is that a) you probably won't know what you need for the semester until the 1st week and b) this is your last chance to buy your required class materials before it starts to affect you academically.
Syllabi
Print them out. It’s nice to have a copy on hand so that you can note any changes the teacher makes throughout the semester (esp. the one where tests go from counting as 50% of your grade to 90% of your grade!). Its also nice to have a digital copy just in case those paper copies go missing. Give them a good read through without making any annotations. The second time, highlight the important information(I would prefer to do this on the digital copy); the professor’s office hours, location of the professor's office, the professor’s email, my grade break down, and etc. Combine all of your syllabi into one major assignment sheet for the semester (here’s a guide on how you can do that). Don’t forget to add it all to your planner (well at least the major assignments!).
Schedule
By the 1st week of the semester you most likely have a definitive class schedule so make sure you've input that into your calendar. Next, it’s important to schedule time for work, exercise, leisure, and etc. Another really important thing to set aside time for is doing homework and or studying. You most likely are also going to want to input important dates into your calendar such as when school bills are due or major projects. Don’t be discouraged if you don't 100% stick to the schedule you've created and try to use it more as a guide. Also remember to print out a copy of your class schedule to follow for the first few weeks of class. Remember to add teachers information and your class schedule into apps like iStudiez Pro or myHomework Student (and check out more apps to help you out with school here!).
Tutoring
By the 1st or 2nd week you can usually tell if you need a tutor. Don’t wait until the end of the semester to get help if you need it! Sign up for tutoring as soon as you know you need it to avoid any future frustrations with the course you need help in or even worse, risk there being no tutors available for your course. Remember you can always get a tutor outside of school, online, or etc. to better suit your schedule.
Routine
Now that you are no longer on vacation it's important to get back into the swing of things. Make sure that you take the time to get ahead, even a little bit, in your classes. Having a back to school mindset will help you to mentally prepare for the semester ahead. Try taking some notes from your textbooks if you have already purchased them or reviewing flashcards on the course on Quizlet. Its also a good idea to settle down during the times you plan to study and do homework so that you're not getting into the swing of things when the semester is in full swing.
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Organize
Organize your binders, organize your pencil case, organize your underwear drawer! You most definitely want to start off the semester on the right foot so this tip ought to be a no brainer. Having an organized bedroom, backpack etc. gives you a sense of inner peace and makes you feel prepared to take on the semester ahead. I know that organizing your binder a certain way may not stick till the end of the semester depending on the needs of your courses but you must start somewhere and modify it as you go along. Its also nice to know that you can actually use your flashcards because you know where they are and you're not stuck writing in pen during a test because you couldn't find your extra pack of pencils at home.
Get a checklist for the semester here to help you follow my guide for college success the first few weeks of the semester.
Question of the Day: What guarantees you success the first few weeks of the semester?
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