hey, my lovely friends! it feels like this summer has flown by, but it’s been a fun one with lots of memories made <3 most of my friends have already gone back to school, and I go back September 6th. in honor of back to school, I thought it would be fun to share a few lessons/life hacks learned during my first year of college. I will be using all of them this coming year, too! also enjoy some nature photos I’ve taken during my adventures this summer ๐
โ make the most of your mornings
I am not really a morning person, but college quickly taught me that getting an early start on the day can make a big difference. for me, this looked like scheduling all my classes for the morning and making sure I left myself enough time to get ready and have breakfast before class started at 8. this will look different for different people! you might find getting up 30 minutes earlier to do Bible study and make coffee before class. if you’re still in high school, I HIGHLY recommend getting everything ready the night before: lunch, school bag, outfit, etc. then you can catch a few extra minutes of sleep and still have time to get ready.
โ master the art of getting ready quickly
this one may not work for everyone, but it was one of the best things I learned last year, so here it is XD my first class was at 8 AM every day. I would set my alarm for 7:35, get up and ready, do my hair/skincare routine, and be out the door and over in the student center by 7:50. even this summer, being able to get ready in less than 15 minutes has been a lifesaver, especially on days where I slept in as late as possible! three ways I get out the door on time: decide on an outfit the night before (saves the frustration of scattering clothes all over!); have all my skincare/makeup things in one place (don’t have to hunt for everything); and leave my phone off until after class (saves me from getting distracted by notifications or social media).
โ set academic boundaries
I don’t know how else to describe this one, so here we are XD one of the best things I did last year was deciding at the start of the year that homework was off limits on Sundays. this was helpful for two reasons: one, I made sure everything was done by Saturday for the next week. this made Sundays so much more relaxing since I knew all the pressing assignments were done. everything else could wait until Monday. second, I didn’t let myself work on homework past 9:00 at night. having that cutoff helped me manage my evening study time much more efficiently. I was also able to hang out with friends or go off campus if I wanted to. I usually wasn’t in bed before 11:30, so giving myself that time to get out of study mode and relax did so much for both my studying and mental health!
โ remember that life is more than school
I have to say, I didn’t do so great at this the first semester. I spent a lot of my time outside of class either studying or working on assignments. which isn’t a bad thing; make sure you put in the effort! but I do wish that I had spent more time in the student center or done more random hangouts with people. don’t get so hung up on grades that you neglect your friends and making memories!
let’s chat!
have you started back to school yet? what’s something you do to make the most of your time during the school year? have a class you’re looking forward to?
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