5 Steps to Start Spring Semester on the Right Foot

Winter break is honestly amazing. Three weeks of relaxation where nothing even remotely academic has to even cross your mind – could it get any better than that? However, three weeks of doing whatever you want and having no strict schedule means that starting spring semester can be a bit of a shock to the system. For today’s post, I’m sharing 5 easy ways that you can prepare yourself for spring semester so that you go into the semester organized, motivated, and ready to go!

 

Clean out your backpack

You know your backpack got real messy over fall semester. Even if you’re a pretty organized person, there’s still a good chance that there’s a few random papers and some food wrappers at the bottom that you need to clean out. In addition, this is a great time to throw out any old papers from last semester, particularly if you plan on reusing some of your school supplies for this semester’s classes.

 

Refresh your school supply stash

I typically reuse old folders and the like from previous semesters, but spring semester is a great time to make sure you’re fully stocked on all of the important goods – pens, pencils, notebooks, index cards, etc. For some reason, I run through a pack of black pens faster than anything else, so I always find myself picking up a new pack at the start of each semester.

 

Read your syllabi

Before the first day of class (if possible), print out and read over your syllabi. Not only do you get a good feel for what you’re expected to do throughout the semester, but syllabi often provide you with some pretty clear predictions about how the professor themselves handle a classroom. A syllabus with strict policies likely suggests a firmer instructor, while more flexibility in grading and attendance may mean that a professor is a bit more flexible and laidback themselves. It’s just a good way to get a feel for the class before you even walk in on the first day.

 

Order your textbooks ahead of time

There’s nothing worse than getting to class on a Monday only to figure out that you’re expected to have the first 3 chapters read by Wednesday. If you’re like me, you order all your textbooks from Amazon (because they’re way cheaper there and rentals are a breeze), but even 2-day shipping will fail you on this tight of a turnaround. Avoid the excessively high school bookstore prices and order your textbooks in advance.

 

Write every important date in your planner

Once you have your syllabi and course materials, build yourself a roadmap for the semester. Use the big monthly spreads in your planner (or in your bullet journal) to write out every important due date for the entire semester. This will help you to see some trends (like when you may have multiple tests in a week) and give you a better idea of how to budget your time for major projects/papers.

 

With these quick and easy steps (they’ll all probably take less than 15 minutes), you’ve put yourself on the right track to have an amazing spring semester.

xo, Taylor