Do you wish you had more time to have a more balanced schedule? To have the best of both worlds, succeed as a student, and pursue different extracurriculars? Enjoy other activities during the day? Are you looking for something interesting or impactful to do? Well, a new year is a perfect time to make changes and set some new goals. To help you stay on track, ConnectPrep created a list of things to do to help elevate your game in 2021.
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- Set goals and be proactive: Setting long-term and short-term goals are a great way to formalize your “to-do” list in a way that lets you check off the box once you achieve your goal. Short-term goals like “create a google calendar” and long-term goals like “sign up for a research-related internship” give you a concrete set of tasks so that at the end, you know you accomplished something meaningful.
- Make a schedule: Creating a schedule each day can add structure and variety to your day. Whether you’re going for a run, completing an assignment, or interacting with friends, schedule your day’s free time and work time to ensure you’re able to enjoy your break but also stay productive. It’s all about willpower and being disciplined, so it’ll be much easier to be productive rather than to procrastinate.
- Develop a routine: You might not have to wake up for a 7:30 am class, but that doesn’t mean you should stay up all night or sleep all day. Go to bed and wake up at consistent and reasonable times so that you can adhere to your schedule and also experience the most amount of daylight! The days are still getting shorter and it’s better to be active when it’s bright outside.
- Join prospective schools’ “Class of 2025” Facebook or Redditt groups: Joining Facebook or Redditt groups is a great way to interact to see other students who are in the same boat as you. These groups allow students to converse with each other, offer tips, advice, and guidance on how to put together your new plan.
- Write down things to do: Oftentimes, we think of something important, funny, or interesting and mean to tell someone or do something about it, but we forget. Writing down these thoughts on a piece of paper or on the Notes application of an iPhone is a great way to 1) remember the thought and 2) remind yourself of it at a later time.
- Clean up your study space: It’s easiest to be efficient when the area where you’re working is organized and free of distractions. Having a wide, clear desk is comfortable and helps you focus on one thing at a time.
- Have a positive mindset, realistic goals, and take steps: As the saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Be realistic with your goals and pat yourself on the back with everything that you have accomplished! Plan out your days and each day take small steps towards reaching your goals in order to avoid being overwhelmed.
