Another school year is fast approaching. Even if you’re an upperclassman – familiar with the routine – you may need to do a little bit of a psych job on yourself to get yourself back into the groove as quickly and easily as possible. Even if you’re happy about going back, there are certain routines that might be difficult to get back into.
You may be able to help your situation by taking some new approaches in the school year. By doing them, you might create challenges and excitement in the new school year that get your head and heart back in the game very quickly.
Save Some Money From Summer So You Won’t Worry So Much About It When School Starts
Related: Financial Savvy – Why You Need to Develop it in University
Sometimes just having some money in the bank – available for whatever purpose it might be needed for – even makes it easier to sleep. The increase in sleep gives you more energy, and that makes it easier for you to concentrate on your schoolwork. By itself, that could make for a much better school year.
Hit The Books Early And Hard So You Won’t Have To Play Catch Up Later
Procrastination is the mortal enemy of every student. This is true not only for assignments, but also in the way that many students manage an entire semester. For example, you might be tempted to coast a little bit during the early weeks of school, figuring that you’ll have plenty of time to make it up later in the semester.
But by doing that you’re building an amount of stress that will hit later in the semester. Though you may enjoy the lighter burden early in the semester, the academic stress will start hitting right about same time that the newness wears off the semester. That’s a bad combination, and one you can avoid by getting into your studies early.
You may even want to build up reserves of top grades early in the semester that way you’ll have them later on when your motivation is beginning to wane.
Participate In New Activities And Hobbies
Sometimes the school year can be made more interesting and exciting by participating in new activities and hobbies. Join groups and participate in activities that you haven’t been involved in in the past. This will give a newness to the upcoming semester that will keep you interested and engaged in a way that you haven’t been in the past.
This is also an excellent way to meet new people, which is another way to get psyched for the new school year…
Expand Your Circle Of Friends
You’ll probably pick up some new friends just as a result of being in a new school year and having different classes. But you can be purposeful about this too, by seeking out friendships in a more active way.
We just mentioned participating in new activities and hobbies as a way of getting to know more people. But you could also become active in seeking new people. For example, choose to have lunch with people that you never sat with before. Approach people in class to be study partners, even if you’ve never worked with them before, or they seem unlikely to be natural choices.
A person who is different may add a new dimension to your life, and that will help you keep and maintain your motivation for the school year.
Plan To Take A Course In Something Completely Different
You have the required core curriculum, plus your major courses of study, but rather than filling in with soft electives, instead choose to take a course in something that you are very interested in.
The field is wide open here – you can choose a course in anything that interests you. If you’d like to take a shot at drama, take a course in drama or anything related to it. If it’s art, have at it. If you’d like to try your hand at graphic design, take a course.
Related: Change Your Major if the Old One is Boring You
No matter what the course is, make sure that it’s something that you truly have an interest in, and not something that you need simply to fill some sort of requirement for graduation.
Get A Part-Time Job That’s Related To Your Major
A lot of students seek part-time jobs at least to provide pocket money at school. But if you could also get a part-time job that’s related to your major field of study, it can add a whole new dimension to both work and school. In fact, you’ll be on something like a work-study program if you can line it up.
Working in your major field of study can give you hands-on experience, but it also can have a way of making your major come alive. It’s one thing to study for a major, and quite another to actually get out and apply it.
Related: Five Financial Concepts You Should Learn Even if University Doesn’t Teach Them
Some examples can include getting a job in sales if you are a marketing major. Or getting a part-time job on a help desk if you’re a computer major. If you’re major is sports medicine, a part-time job in a gym could help. If you’re an accounting major, you might consider a part-time job in either accounts payable or accounts receivable.
It can be an excellent arrangement – enabling you to earn money from your major even before you graduate.
If you want to get really psyched up for the new school year, plan to do something you haven’t done before, and it can make all the difference in the world.
I always had the most success if I hit the books hard at first. By putting in a lot of effort when I was fresh from break, I was really able to work effectively. As things got crazy throughout the term, my grades could handle the challenges.