Zooming into Spring

Welcome back, Scots. It’s officially the spring semester. Hopefully you all had a productive and relaxing winter break; it was a much-needed rest after a non-stop semester. This semester, let’s all try to take care of ourselves.

One way to take care of yourself this semester is to take breaks when you can afford to. On these days, try going for a walk around campus or visiting a friend, either virtually or in-person. Though it’s icy and freezing right now, before you know it, it’ll be spring and campus will be beautiful. Take advantage of that and of the sunshine to get some Vitamin D.

It may also be difficult for you to readjust after the long break. Try using a schedule for everything you do, including a time to go to bed each night. Waking up for early-morning classes can be a struggle after two months of being able to sleep in. By resetting your circadian rhythm now, you avoid having sleep deprivation during midterms.

In addition, make organization easier by packing your backpack every night before bed. I like to refill my water bottle, pack my books, ensure I have pens, and even lay out my coat the night before so that when I am leaving for class, I have a system in place to reduce the amount of time I have to spend getting ready.

Try printing out a schedule and leaving it by your door if your schedule is confusing, and set your phone to use alarms at certain times each day. My alarms go off at 8:30 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but at 8:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Having a per-configured alarm makes waking up less complicated.

I also recommend setting timers for working on specific classes. Try using 20-minute timers with 5-minute breaks to ease into doing a substantial amount of classwork each night. Use an app to set reminders in class; I use the app and type my assignments rather than write a note so that my phone will alert me when things are due. If you forget your planner, like me, it will help you by organizing your to-do list for you in order of priority.

What do you do to help yourself adjust to a new semester? Let us know on Twitter.

Carrie King - Features Editor