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okay, so here in california precautionary measures against COVID-19 have become increasingly intense. most schools have closed and are preparing to make the transition to “distance learning” aka online classes. this is a big change for many of us – but don’t panic!

welcome to surviving online classes 101!

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✐ self discipline

this is more of a warning than a tip. working from home means you will have to exercise a lot more self discipline. it can be a little bit boring or lonely at times. you cannot count on motivation from others (professors, classmates, friends, etc.), so you will have to learn some self discipline. 

✐ create your own classroom

a good way to make the transition is to try and mimic the classroom setting as closely as possible. something that might be helpful is to set up a space designated for work. try to avoid the temptation to work in your bed or on the couch. that trains your brain to be alert in those places and makes it harder to relax/fall asleep. at least during online lectures, try and eliminate distractions that wouldn’t be present in a regular classroom (like tv or netflix playing in the background, or having your phone out)

✐ dress for success!

dress in the way that makes you feel most productive. if you’re one of those people who usually rolls into class wearing sweats and still kills it, good for you! if you’re one of those people who needs to put on a full face of makeup to feel alive and ready for the day, do that! even at home!! i personally never wear makeup but if i try to be productive in pjs… disaster. i’ve also found that cute workout gear makes me feel badass while still being comfy.

✐ create a schedule

now more than ever you need to figure out how to manage your time. you can use a planner, bujo, google calendar, the forest app, whatever. just make sure you keep track of things like

due dates and TIMES

exam dates

lecture times

hours spent studying

meals (pls eat 3 if possible)

water intake

sleep schedule

✐ pack your bag like you usually would

i know this probably sounds so dumb, but when you’re done working clean up after yourself. pack everything up like you would at school, to sort of signal to your brain that academic time is over for now. and then unpack and set up when you’re ready to get to work again. this is just another way to trick your brain into that school mindset while you’re stuck at home.

✐ don’t overwork yourself

break up your studying into chunks. being cooped up all day can make us feel like we’re wasting time, but be sure to schedule breaks and reward yourself after a solid study session. i’m a big fan of the pomodoro method, and it can be customized really easily to allow for more or less study/rest time. 

✐ maintain a healthy sleep schedule

now is the time to develop that healthy sleep schedule we all dream about. staring at a computer all day is exhausting and hard on the eyes and brain, so make sure to give them enough rest and time to recover each night. also, consider investing in glasses that block blue light, even if you don’t usually use glasses. this will keep our eyes young lol. 

✐ communicate with your teachers and classmates

most of us are making this transition to online learning together. any time you have questions, email your professor. reach out to your classmates at the beginning and exchange emails/phone numbers/social media so you can build a support system. if something goes wrong, screenshot it immediately and reach out to your professor. technology isn’t perfect, and mistakes can happen, just communicate them.

✐ turn things in early

this is my biggest tip. when you are relying on online submissions for assignments and digital lectures, you always want to allow extra time to fix any errors you might encounter. your professor will also be much more willing to help you fix a problem two days before a deadline rather than two minutes before a deadline. eliminate that uncertainty by playing it safe with online submissions. 

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1. what is the author trying to say? 2. what does the author maybe not realize they’re saying?

How to Bullet Journal 101:

“Productivity is about making smart choices (continuously) with your energy, focus and time in order to maximise your potential and achieve beneficial results.” – Mohammed Faris

1. Find your energy hours.

Everyone has a specific time in the day where their energy levels are much higher than usual. Use that time to your advantage. Take that energy and get the majority of your work done and out of the way.

For me, the mornings are usually when I feel the most energised, so I get to work straight away. To find your energy hours, try working at different times during the day. See which time of the day allows you to work at your very best.

2. Establish routines.

Once you have found your energy hours, base your day around this. Create a routine for each day of the week.

When do you study? When do you go to school? Do you relax for an hour after coming back from school? Do you tidy your room on Sunday?

Establish a schedule and you’re less likely to get side-tracked and much more likely to maximise your productivity.

3. Ditch the to-do lists.

Yes, it’s good to write lists of things you need to do, but you’re never going to get around to doing them if you don’t plan time for it. So instead of relying on a to-do list, add the task to your routine. Will you be able to work on this task on a Saturday afternoon? Great! Put it into your schedule. This will ensure the task is completed.

4. Don’t multi-task.

You can’t do multiple things at once. It seems like you’re able to, but what you’re really doing is constantly switching your attention from one task to another. Don’t do that. Focus on one thing at a time. That way, you’re putting all of your attention on a task and are likely to get it completed faster and at a higher standard.

5. Complete similar tasks together.

If you’re studying, instead of switching from subject to subject throughout the day, try to stick to one subject. On Monday, create flashcards for a Biology topic, then revise the topic and then do a Biology past paper. This will ensure your mind is concentrated on one thing at a time and not constantly switching gears.

So get your chores done together. Study one subject at a time. Send your e-mails and messages at one time. Dedicate today to your English essay. Don’t interrupt tasks with an unrelated task.

6. Finish quick and easy tasks first.

If you need to make a dentist appointment, do it. Do you need to write a quick e-mail to your teacher? Get it out of the way.

Finishing the quick and easy tasks right away will leave you with ample time to tackle the more challenging ones you’ve got up ahead. It will also give you peace of mind that you’ve gotten something done today.

7. Take breaks.

You’re not a machine. Productivity is not working 24/7.

“Being productive is about knowing when to have fun and when to work hard; when to relax and when to be serious. It’s about making smart choices.”

Allow your mind and body to take a break every now and then and relax. Scheduling these breaks can be beneficial so that you’re not constantly taking a break when you don’t need to.

8. Prioritise.

Yes, that idea you had on the train was appealing, but is it really that beneficial? Is it important enough for you to spend your valuable time and energy on it? Will it get you where you want to go? Probably not.

So prioritise projects and tasks. Ensure important tasks are completed first and well before any upcoming deadlines. Make sure that your time is better spent doing things that will actually benefit you and bring you closer to your goals.

9. Become accountable to someone.

It’s super easy to make promises to yourself, saying that you will do this and do that. Likewise, it’s also extremely easy to break those promises.

However, this is different when you have someone you are accountable to. Perhaps, at the end of every week, you can report to a parent or a trusted friend on your progress so far. It’s extremely difficult to tell someone that you haven’t accomplished your goals for the week. This will make it far more likely for you to get your work done.

10. Review your progress.

At the end of each day, you should evaluate your progress. What did you accomplish today? What did you do well? What did you not complete today? Why? How could you improve? When will you complete it?

Asking yourself these questions and being honest will help you see where you’re going right and where you’re not doing so well.

I hope this is useful to some of you and that you put your time and energy into good use. 😊

Fun is something we all need more of when the going gets hard, especially when the notes are long and the subject is hard! Here’s a few tips to help you become more interested in your work & keep on going.

Interactive Study Tools!

Written Kitten: get a kitten/puppy/bunny pic every 100 words

Quizlet: play fun games with your flashcards

Memrise: add custom mnemonics to your vocab terms

Clozemaster: pretend your language learning is a video game

GoConqr: go and make those online mindmaps

Khan Academy: make your learning totally interactive

Online Resources: a masterpost from youtube to history!

Snacks!

101 Study Snacks: (mostly) healthy, fun & easy snacks

Study Foods: a fun & healthy guide to what you should eat

Feed Yo’ Brain: sweet, savoury, or a drink? all covered!

5 Recipes That Make Life Easier: simple & necessary

5 Cheap, Tasty, & Healthy Snacks

Buzzfeed Tasty: simple & delicious video recipes

Playlists!

Study Playlists Masterpost: everything you ever need

Study Playlist Masterpost: aaaand some more! in categories!

Soundtracks for Study: to help you get through that study sesh 

& shoutouts to my favourite playlists:

calm down & work

rose redux

mildliners playlists

study nonstop

Study Sounds: not quite playlists, but calm and great for studying

Coffitivity: pretend you’re studying in a coffee shop

Noisli: study in nature rather than your room

Organization!

How to Stay Organized: oodles of helpful tips!

Organization: advice both physical and digital

Organization Methods: a bunch of different strategies

The Organization Guide for Lazy Students

Staying Organized in College: a seven step guide

How to Keep Binders Organized For School

Study Breaks!

Study Break Ideas: bet you hadn’t thought of doing yoga

Energizing Study Break Ideas & What To Avoid

Online Pomodoro Timer: work, break, repeat: all timed

Study Breaks: ideas for those 5 minutes of downtime

Studying 101: The Pomodoro Technique

Non-Studying Things To Do During Your Free Period

Doodles!

How To Illustrate Your Notes: perfect for visual learners

Guide to Pretty Notes: spice up your dull note-taking habits

Fundamentals of Visual Notetaking

Doodle Ideas: an adorable guide from studypetals!

Tumblr’s Bullet Journal Explore Page: for ultimate doodliness

There you have it! Try mixing up all these different strategies for maximum fun while studying.

i know the feeling of being stuck between wanting to study because you have to and not wanting to study because you’re tired. so here are some of what i do (except #1 bc my new classmates think im a nerd for doing this so i stopped) when i dont feel like studying

get a study buddy/friend/classmate to monitor your progress. maybe you can even compare your progress at every end of the day

if you prefer studying alone, you can create a schedule. not really a schedule, but more of an allocation of hours. on a sheet of paper, write down all the things you usually do for a day and beside those, write the number of hours or minutes it takes to do them. add all those and subtract from 24, there you’ll have your hours and minutes of free time. allocate your free time accordingly to the subjects you have to study. however, don’t allocate all of your free time to studying, you need time to take a break as well.

pamper yourself. you could take a bath, half bath, wash your face, or just change into clean and comfortable clothes (*cough* pajamas *cough cough*). comb your hair, tie em neatly in any way you feel good with.

set up your study area. you could use the living room or dining room and just bring all the needed things, not all of em. sometimes it’s better to have only what you need in order to focus better. you could also just be in your room. if your room is cluttered, you could clean them or just put them in one place and hide them in a blanket. i know covering them sounds bad but you dont want to waste your energy in cleaning when you have to be studying.

if you feel like your brain is cluttered, do a brain dump. write in a sheet of paper everything that comes into your mind and is bothering you. after, look at them and see if there are things you can act upon. if there are urgent things, act on them now. write the other non-urgent things on another sheet of paper/memo to take action later. 

if you feel like your brain is cluttered but it’s more of an emotional clutter, cry it out. take a few minutes, even an hour, and cry it all out. you’ll feel better. i know i feel better after crying.

dont force yourself to study for hours on end. do the pomodoro technique where you study for 25 mins. then take a break for 5 mins., or alter this and study for an hour maybe then take a break for 10 minutes. have it your way depending on how you feel.

just read. dont take notes, dont highlight. just read and understand the material. dont be afraid to search online or browse a dictionary about a term you dont understand. then after each chapter/lesson/topic, see if you can summarize what you just read. if you can summarize, proceed to the next. if you can’t, go back to reading. understanding is better than just memorizing.

if you find something difficult, ask a classmate/friend to discuss the chapter/topic to you. 

if you know you can’t study an entire chapter, read the summary after each chapter.

start doing it today.

keep doing it.

dont stop.

tomorrow is a new day to try again.

dont wait to see massive results from the day one.

make it a routine to learn something evey day and the big result will be obvious at the end!

the secret is: make study your habit. be in  love with studying. by expanding your horizons and becoming smarter. you are doing it for yourself. just yourself. dont fall in the trap to try to be better than someone else. it doesnt worth the time and the energy. develop yourself, discover yourself. and one great way is to do this through studying. study your material or even try to read something totally different than you usually do that it interests you a bit. politics. astronomy. history of the russian. psychology of the family. 

also. have more interests and hobbies. i have theatre. and good company. i think friends give you the power of keep trying. catch every chance that is given to you to try something new. dont underestimate it. if you are into many things while you are young, you will have some wisdom collected over there and you will be very pleased with yourself! so keep trying and love studying and learning new stuff. languages, form of arts, athletics or dances.

A friend once asked me how I manage to do my tasks so efficiently. I wrote a 500-word essay in 20 minutes. I finished my math homework and studied for a quiz in the half hour before morning assembly. I sleep at 9 pm on most nights. But how can I possibly achieve that?

I’ve seen people, even good students, check their phone every minute or two as they’re studying. I’ve seen students “study” for six hours straight, meaning taking down some notes then watching a YouTube video then reading their textbook then opening Instagram… you know what I mean.

My advice is to commit to whatever you’re doing. Not too long ago, another friend asked me, “Jo, do you ever get distracted at home?” to which I replied, “Distracted by what?” They told me about how they always have the urge to check their phones, talk to their friends, or get some food.  I can’t say I never get distracted, but it very rarely happens to me because I focus on what I’m doing–and only what I’m doing. Here’s how:

1. During the time I allocate for working, I turn my phone to airplane mode (with WiFi switched off, of course). No messages or notifications will distract me from what I’m currently doing. Recently, though, I’ve left my phone on in case there’s anything important. There might an RMUN photoshoot tomorrow, or a Physics quiz, or a music showcase. I know myself well enough to know that I have the discipline to do nothing more than glance at the notification. However, if this isn’t true for you, then I suggest you keep your phone on airplane mode.

2. When I allocate time for relaxing, that’s all I do. No homework. No textbooks. No opening emails as they come. Just me and a good book or Photoshop or the piano or something. That way, I can satiate my thirst to relax within the half hour or so and not crave more when I start working

As for music, it’s been proven that music makes you less productive when trying to recall and absorb information (studying, in other words). Music only makes you happier when you’re doing things but not more productive.

By this, I don’t only mean which ones are most urgent, but which ones you can’t accomplish anywhere other than at home. For example, let’s say you have these three tasks: a) research about structural unemployment; b) write a poem with the theme of death; c) answer some questions about quantum physics; d) do a problem set about implicit functions; and e) memorize a set of chemical reactions. This is how I would do them:

Write the poem on the way to school. Maybe this is just because I like poetry. And because I can’t write when other people are around. I’d probably get a first draft done by the time I get home.

Do the research about structural unemployment. My school’s WiFi is terrible.

Answer the quantum physics questions. The new information is still fresh in my brain and doing the homework will help me revise, easing the process of spaced repetition.

Memorize the chemical reactions before I go to bed. Studying before you sleep is supposed to improve your memory, and since my memory is terrible, that’s exactly what I’ll do.

Do the implicit functions problem set as soon as I get to school the next morning. Math is undoubtedly my best subject, and it’s very refreshing to do math at 6:45 AM in the morning.

If you saw the pattern, I assigned each task a time slot when I would be most productive. I also did them from easiest to most difficult to the easiest again. Because everyone works differently, I suggest you find out which types of tasks are the most difficult (memorizing, in my case) and which types of tasks require a certain environment (e.g. requiring WiFi for doing research).

I guess that’s pretty much self-explanatory. I like to nap right after I get home from school if I’m feeling especially tired. As for breaks, I prefer to take them between tasks instead of every 25 minutes because of my high study inertia.

Commit to what you’re doing

Delegate and prioritize

Give yourself shorter deadlines

Take breaks!

Read it 10 times

Say it 10 times

if you realize you’ve been studying for hours: grab a snack to refuel your body and watch a sitcom to refuel your brain. then back to the books.

if you’re feeling stressed out: take some deep breaths, text your friends, maybe stare at a wall for a few minutes. gather yourself.

if you can’t seem to focus: get moving and get outside. take out the garbage, check your mail box, maybe walk your dog. just get moving and get fresh air. it’ll help bring you back.

if there’s something else going on in your life and you can’t get it off your mind: write down what’s going through your head, sort of like a diary entry. it’ll help you work things out.

if you’re just mentally and physically exhausted: set a timer for 25-30 minutes and take a nap. any longer and you’ll hit REM and you’ll wake up feeling just as tired. once you wake up, get some caffeine in you.

if the material is boring as hell: find another way to study. see if there’s a crash course video online about it or draw out what you’re trying to learn in diagrams and pictures to make it fun.

if people around you won’t shut up: listen to some music. soundtrack and classical music is always good because they won’t absorb you as much as music with lyrics. white noise (like ocean waves, rain sounds, etc.) also works.

4.00- the golden number. Every student wants it, but how to get there? In this post, I’ll be giving you my best advice as to how I got my 4.00 GPA, and how you can get one as well. The post will be split into 4 sections- before school, during school, after school, and overall. Hope you enjoy! 

BEFORE SCHOOL:

MAKE SURE YOU’RE COMING TO SCHOOL PREPARED. I can not stress this enough. Your school day begins before you even step inside a classroom. If you use a device to take notes, make sure you charge it overnight. If you use notebooks, make sure you’re bringing them all with you. Be prepared for the day that’s about to come. 

EAT A GOOD BREAKFAST. Eating poorly literally diminishes your ability to think well. Have a balanced breakfast- keep yourself well fed throughout the day as well. 

BE ON TIME. Starting your day late can sometimes put the whole day out of whack. Teachers can also take points away from you if you have poor attendance and punctuality, so make sure you’re always on time!

DURING SCHOOL:

ACTUALLY PAY ATTENTION IN CLASS. Make sure you take advantage of the lesson time you have. The teacher is there to teach you, so try your best to learn. 

GET THE IDEA INTO YOUR HEAD THAT CLASS TIME IS WORK TIME. I know it can be tiring to always be working. But, associating class time with play time is dangerous (and a hard habit to snap out of). You will have time to rest later- now it’s time to work. 

PRACTICE SMART NOTE TAKING. Don’t copy everything the teacher says- that’s not effective. Be succinct, try your best to assimilate the information before you write it down. 

YOUR TEACHERS ARE RESOURCES OF KNOWLEDGE- USE THEM AS SUCH. Ask them questions. If there’s a concept you didn’t quite understand during class, try to ask them about it later. This will show you are dedicated and have the desire to learn. 

ACKNOWLEDGE DISTRACTIONS, AND AVOID THEM. If your friends are distracting you during class, don’t sit near them. You’ll have time to hang out later. If your phone is distracting you, turn it off or don’t bring it with you. Know what your distractions are and make an effort to avoid them. 

AFTER SCHOOL: 

REVIEW WHAT YOU LEARNED THROUGHOUT THE DAY. You’re more likely to remember what you learned that day if you look at it more than once. Reinforce your new knowledge. 

REST. It won’t do you good to just study your way into exhaustion. It’s not good for your mind or your body. Take care of yourself too. 

STUDY REGULARLY AND EFFECTIVELY, NOT DAILY. You don’t have to study every day. I repeat- YOU DON’T HAVE TO STUDY EVERY DAY! That is not the best way to learn. 3 hours of productive studying are way better than 8 hours of ineffective studying. 

GET YOUR HOMEWORK DONE WITH. I know, homework sucks for the most part. But teachers can discount points from you if you don’t hand in assignments on time, so just get it over with. 

OVERALL:

GET GOOD SLEEP. Only about 15% of teenagers get enough sleep on a school night. Try your best to be in that 15%. Sleep deprivation can decrease your ability to concentrate and solve problems, so sleep well!

UNDERSTAND THAT SOME DAYS WILL SIMPLY BE BETTER THAN OTHERS. It’s ok if you’re not doing too well on one day- don’t beat yourself up because of that. Vow to come back stronger tomorrow. Stay motivated and don’t lose hope because of some bad days. 

KEEP TRACK OF YOUR STUDY SESSIONS. Keeping track of my study sessions is my favourite way to organise my studying. Since I struggle with hyperfocus, I time myself while doing a certain task so that I don’t lose track of time. I strongly recommend the app Focus Keeper for this!

WORK ON YOUR WEAKNESSES. You don’t have to just accept not being good at something. For example, I struggled with History for the longest time, and it was always my lowest grade. But after months of working and working, I now do well in all of my exams because I dedicated myself to it.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, REMEMBER THIS AT ALL COSTS: NOTHING, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, IS UNLEARNABLE. As much as some things are harder to learn than others, this does not make it impossible. Keep in mind that you can do anything by working hard and being dedicated. 

The struggle is real: even though we have a wonderful 48 hours to get everything we need to done, time somehow slips through our hands. Here’s how you can best utilize the weekend, so you can manage to fit in your work, some fun, and much needed rest.

1. Address your needs first

Did you miss out on a lot of sleep over the week? Use that first night of the weekend to fully recharge. You’ll be useless to yourself if you’re tired.

Are you just crazy burnt out from the week? Take some R & R time for yourself. Unwind with a few episodes of your favorite show on Netflix, read, take a bath, meditate, or go out with your friends. Do whatever it is that revitalizes you. You’ll also be useless over the weekend if you’re still burnt out.

2. Make a plan

As with anything you want to execute successfully, you need a plan. This is where you whip out the bujo, planner, or a bunch of sticky notes if that’s your style.

Write down a list of everything you need to get done over the weekend. This is only the essentials, the top priorities. Example: study for A.P. Bio exam, write reading response, do laundry.

Next, take each item from the list and break it down into steps. Example for reading response: 1) Read chapters 1 & 2 of Jane Eyre; 2) brainstorm response ideas; 3) make a brief outline; 4) write response draft; 5) edit

Don’t let seeing so many steps overwhelm you! The point is that you’re breaking down the larger, tougher projects into smaller, manageable tasks. You can check them off as you’ve completed them for a delightful sense of accomplishment.

3. Schedule, schedule, schedule!

Scheduling allows you to make necessary social engagements or allocate chill time for that highly important balanced lifestyle. 

If you need to break down your day into hours or even half hour units, then do it if it works for you. Allocate a realistic (generous) amount of time for each task. And stick to it.

4. “Easier said than done, Carolyn,” is what you may be thinking, and that’s totally fair. Here are some tips to make all of this easier:

Be kind to yourself. Forgive yourself if you need to. We are all human and subject to imperfection. That’s just how it is, and that’s okay. Please don’t beat yourself up if you don’t follow your schedule or feel like you’ve accomplished every task you set out to do. It’s okay, alright?

Put away your phone! In the other room! In a drawer! Have a friend hold on to it! Or just download Forest, which is a great app that incentivizes staying away from your phone.

Download the app SelfControl for your computer and block sites that tend to suck you in (like tumblr, for example!).

Stay well nourished and HYDRATED for maximum mental functioning.

And I’m dead serious about this balanced lifestyle stuff: if all your needs are being met, then you’re more likely to stay focused and driven.

1. In class don’t worry about how neat your notes look. Get a $0.50-$1 composition book from your local store and take the most rough/messy notes you can. Focus on writing everything the professor writes and says. This is an important part of the process. You need to focus on lecture and not worry how aesthetically pleasing your notes are. It’s not possible to learn in class while you’re rewriting words because you don’t like how they look.

2. After class, look at your messy notes. Rewrite these notes beautifully and neatly. Annotate the steps taken in each problem in a separate color. Use your textbook and write down the theorems and proofs and take notes on the reasoning why the math works. Color coordinate definition, theorems, proofs, formulas and examples.

3. Read your textbook. Don’t just buy it to get your homework out of. Actually read it, redo the examples (even if your teacher lectured on them) and fill in the steps that the textbook skips over. This will help you so much.

4. When it comes time to do your homework, do it once. And then again. And again. And again. And then do questions that were not assigned. Go above and beyond because math is not a spectator sport. Most of us have to practice to succeed.

5. When you do your homework, for each problem make sure to write each theorem or formulas you need for that question. Every time. Even if you have to write that formula down for 100 questions and it’s redundant and annoying to write it down. JUST. DO. IT. You WILL know those theorems by the time you’re done with your homework so it will be less to memorize before the test.

6. Before a test, make a cheat sheet. Write down every formula needed for the test, the important definitions and theorems, and objectives. Know this cheat sheet by heart. Write it down as many times as possible. Say it out loud. Make sure you know it before the day of the test.

write down every deadline!

get someone’s number in every class, in case you have to miss a class or need a study buddy

don’t buy textbooks before you go to the first class – you might not even need them

same with notebooks, binders, folders, etc

live on campus for at least a year if you can – you’ll make more friends and get more involved that way

apply for a work study job  – your boss will be way more understanding about taking time off to study than if you work off campus 

put yourself out there, especially in the first couple of months. go to club interest meetings, hang out with people from class, introduce yourself to your hall mates

if you don’t like the free t shirt, don’t take it. you’ll never wear, no not even to sleep, and you’ll just end up stressed out about your lack of closet space

don’t go straight back to your dorm after class – study in the library, hang out in union. don’t coop yourself up in your room all day!!

start your work as soon as you get it

always carry a water bottle

don’t leave the dining hall empty handed! grab some fruit or cookies for a snack later

keep a travel mug in your backpack so you can get free coffee from the dining hall instead of starbucks

coordinate with your roommates on big stuff – fridge, coffee maker, etc

apply for fafsa the day it opens!! if they need any extra info you’ll wanna know asap 

lay out your clothes the night before, so you can sleep a little later

use the resources available to you!! go to the gym, the campus clinic, etc because you’re already paying for it!!

go to sporting events even if you don’t like sports, it’s a chance to really appreciate your school + get away from homework for a bit

start your work as soon as you get it!!!

take classes that interest you!! even if they’re outside your major

study hard but don’t forget to take a break!! spend time with your friends and make memories!!

always keep $20 in your car for emergency gas or food

you’ll probably switch majors. that’s okay.

if you decide you want to ~party~, take it easy. always go with people you trust, and don’t be afraid to leave early if you’re getting a bad vibe

don’t wear a lanyard. sure, they’re convenient, but at what cost?

speak up in class, but don’t be a know-it-all. if you’re speaking over all the other students or acting like you know more than the teacher your attendance grade is going to be the same as if you hadn’t talked at all

don’t sweat your gpa too much. it’s not like high school, and unless you have to have a certain gpa for a scholarship it doesn’t really matter what it is

keep your room clean. seriously it’ll make your relationship with your roommate much better and will keep your space from stressing you out

avoid all-nighters like the plague