Genius Tips On How To Mentally Prepare For A New Semester -

Don’t worry, I got you covered with the best tips on how to mentally prepare for a new semester in college! From mapping your route to school to making sure you know which teachers are good and bad, I want to give you insight into making your next semester the best one yet!

Every semester is a fresh start. I honestly love the start of a new semester because I get to take new classes I’m interested in and I get to meet new people on campus through those classes. More likely than not I just came back from a break so I’m super eager and ready to go! I mean, I typically worked in the summers (and sometimes took summer classes) but it’s still nice to have a little break before classes begin. But being back on campus is a great feeling.

Throughout my time in college, I realized there were things every successful student needed to do before beginning classes. Doing these things before my classes started meant that I was prepared and honestly more successful in my classes because of it.

How To Mentally Prepare For A New Semester

1. Enroll

A lot of the time you can enroll for the new semester during the previous semester. And at the latest, if new classes are still being created, you can enroll weeks before classes start. If you haven’t, make sure you do ASAP because you want the absolute best professors and the most interesting classes before they’re filled. I find that when I waited to enroll at the last minute, I was stressed being forced onto waitlists hoping the higher-rated professor would open more seats in their class.

Pro Tip: Use ratemyprofessor.com to find out who the best professors are for the class you want to take. This is where students are completely honest with how it went in the class and whether they failed or did nearly perfect in the course. It’s great to hear opinions about the professor you will be spending the next 15-17 weeks with!

2. Locate Your Classes

The next most important thing is making sure you know exactly where your classes are. I can’t remember how many times I would assume I knew where the class was because I was familiar with the building but ended up being late because it was in a not-so-obvious location in the building! Go with a friend and locate your classes before the semester starts so you are on time and ready for the day.

3. Buy Your Textbooks

I’d say a good chunk of college students wait until after the first week until they buy their textbooks. In some classes, you really don’t need to buy the textbook- in others you do. But either way, locate where you can buy your textbooks and if they are still in stock. If you want to cop (cool way to say “to get” or “obtain”) your textbooks for free check out this helpful resource of where you can find free college textbooks.

Common question: Can I use an older version of this textbook (since it’s cheaper)?

Answer: Of course, you can! I would run that question by your actual professor to make sure. However, new editions of textbooks typically have minor changes. So unless your professor says “No, there are major updates in the new edition“, I would, without a doubt, save my money and get an older edition!

4. Print Out the Syllabus For Every Class

A prepared student knows what’s going on in their class. And the only way you can understand the class is by reading the syllabus from front to back. This significantly reduces the potential stress you may endure later on if you didn’t read through the syllabus. These are the guidelines, the rules, and all of the dates you need to put in your planner so you never lose track of assignments.

Print out each syllabus and make sure you read it and understand what you need to do to succeed in that class. You’d be surprised how many questions can be answered by just reading through the syllabus. If you do have questions after reading through the syllabus, you’re actually prepared to go to class and ask questions to clarify anything you didn’t understand.

5. Import Your Assignments

I can’t rave enough about the myHomework app. It was literally life-saving and life-changing when I discovered it during my freshman year. You can create a folder for each class, then import each assignment. You can give each assignment a level of importance, set reminders, and color code things!

Another useful way is to check out my article about how you can sync the Canvas calendar with your Google calendar account. If you are an avid Google Calendar user, it can be extremely convenient to have all of your things in one place! Using the tutorial below, your Canvas calendar will automatically sync your assignments to Google Classroom, even if it was added in the middle of the semester! So definitely don’t miss out on that easy-to-follow tutorial.

6. Know Who Your Professors Are

In each syllabus, there should be contact information for your professor and where their office is located. A great piece of advice is to note each professor’s contact information (email) and their office hours in your notes app on your phone, then PIN that note so you always have it easily accessible to you. You can also write it on your notes page if you use a physical planner. This helped me soo much because I never had to go through each class syllabus trying to find their contact information because it was all in one place!

7. Track Your Commute

This can be for both on-campus and off-campus students. Using your GPS, find out how long the drive will be to get to your class. Whether you drive to school or not, make sure you know how long it will take to walk to your classes as well. This will help you arrive in a timely manner and not stress about getting to class on time.

If you are driving to school, I recommend adding at least 10 extra minutes to the amount of time you think it will take you to get to school because there will most likely be some traffic especially if you’re heading to school in the morning. This will ensure you are ahead of the traffic and not stressed the F out when you find out everyone is heading to class at the same time you are.

8. Get Your Supplies and Your Backpack Ready

One of my favorite things to do! I love getting new supplies and things for my backpack because I am obsessed with stationary. Make sure you have the essentials ready to go.

Get the proper materials according to the classes you have. Sometimes I even wait until after syllabus day (the first day of school) until I get my writing supplies.

9. Get good rest before the first day of classes

Make sure you’re rested. Starting off the semester strong will elevate you into a successful and more enjoyable term. Set your alarm before going to sleep to ensure you wake up on time. Have an outfit ready to go. Make sure you have everything you need in your backpack. Then, you’re ready to take on the day!

Staying prepared significantly reduces overall stress when preparing for a new semester in college. Follow these tips to make sure you have your life together to make it through your new semester. What tips and tricks do you have that can teach us how to mentally prepare for a new semester? Comment down below! 😊

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Genius Tips On How To Mentally Prepare For A New Semester