Semester Goals
10 Simple Semester Goals to Get The Grades You Want!
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At the beginning of the year, we are well rested with goals as high as the stars. I too, aim high. The best way to achieve those goals is, of course, to write them down. But is it enough to write down “Get that A+”? I personally, don’t think so. You have to have a clear and dedicated plan. Something that paves the way in little baby steps. One that gets you from day one to crushing that final with ease and grace. One that will not leave you frantic and wild-eyed from all-nighters and caffeine overdoses.
In saying that, I present to you, my 10 goals to ace this semester…
10. Keep a consistent bedtime.
As much as I love, love, love, my sleep, I am horrible at keeping a steady bedtime. I am always watching one more episode on Netflix, or checking Instagram one more time. Before you know it, it’s 12:30 am and I have to be up in 5 hours!
Next thing you know I am sleeping in the next morning and wake up, still groggy. As much as I have a morning brain, I don’t always have a morning body. I hate wandering around all day in that sleepy haze. This year I am going to commit to my bedtime and keep it!
9. Dedicate a minimum of half an hour every day to organization.
I have decided to schedule this time every night before bed. That way I can also organize and pack everything I need for the following day. I take this time not only to tidy up and organize my desk and notebooks, but to also update my planner and add any assignments or readings that I need to complete, and when I plan to complete them by.
I have a little shelf where I have room to stack all of the materials I use in each class separately, so I also make sure that any loose pages of lecture notes are in the proper stack to be added or re-written. This way, when I start in on a subject I just grab the stack and take it to my desk and I can start with whatever is on the top first, without digging around my clipboard or backpack.
I really think that having this time to clean up and decompress will really help quiet my mind so that I can get to sleep quicker, and I won’t have those middle of the night tummy drops when I think I might have forgotten something.
8. Stay hydrated.
This is one thing that I struggle with. I really don’t know how it is so hard to just drink the water. Every day I have make my 2 infusers full of water and spend the day forcing them down. I have lemon, cucumber, and fresh mint leaves in my rotation. Sometimes, if I am feeling frisky I even combine some of them. Anyone have any other suggestions?
7. Eat breakfast every day.
Between rushing out the door and just not having a very healthy appetite in the morning, I tend to skip breakfast. I have noticed that this makes it much harder to concentrate once I am in lecture, but you think I care beforehand? Of course not!
On the other hand, I always find that I am starving by 11 am if I do eat breakfast. I can’t win either way!
This year, I am going to err on the side of feeding my brain and eat the breakfast. I have an early class and it really helps be to be more alert. I can tell from last week that this professor means business, and I do not want to be slow on the uptake.
6. Do all of the suggested readings as well as the required ones.
I have found this is often slow, dry reading. In my case they are often journal articles and research essays, supplementing the information on examples we are given in lecture with the raw data collected. I have always found them to be hard reads as they are so technical. Sometimes there are chapters from supplemental textbooks that are nearly equally technical.
I am guilty of often only skimming them, or procrastinating and not reading them at all. Promising myself |I will get to them one day when I have “free time”. This year I want to make a concerted effort to actually read these. I know that they are not just thrown up there for no reason and that they will likely add depth and layers to my understanding.
I do not intend to blindly read every scrap of paper though. Over time I have learned that there is a method to reading scientific journals and that they are broken into sections for a reason. The methods and raw data are not nearly as important as the descriptions, summaries, and conclusions. So, while I do intend to read everything suggested, I also want to play it smart and read it in the right way.
5. Do not procrastinate.
I have a mantra, “the sooner I start, the sooner I finish”. This serves me pretty well as far as procrastination goes. I am usually good with keeping to my study schedule but bad when it comes to more personal things like folding laundry or washing dishes.
I want to make a better effort on not procrastinating by scheduling a bit of me time every day. If I can look forward to that time, perhaps it will motivate me to complete the things I find trivial and annoying. How do you thwart procrastination?
4. Stay positive.
A positive attitude can be just as important as effort sometimes. I intend to keep a cheery outlook, even when I feel like I am drowning or stressed. I know these times will come, and it will be harder said than done when they do, but I really need to commit to looking at the brighter side, even when I feel like there is nothing to look up to. In keeping a positive attitude, and putting one foot in front of the other, I know I can push myself through to the other side.
3. Set timelines and keep to self-imposed deadlines.
The best way to avoid drowning in despair and stress is to try to avoid if from happening in the first place. Breaking down assignments and reading into smaller tasks, then assigning each of those tasks to a date or time, can really help with getting things done. Reading 3 chapters will be daunting but if each of those chapters are broken down into a certain number of pages, or sections, then allowing yourself an hour to read each is much easier to stomach.
The same goes with essays or other assignments. I plan on breaking everything down into smaller tasks and setting deadlines for myself, before they are actually due, that way I can have ample time to complete them, or rearrange the schedule should something come up. Allotting everything a time and sticking to it will avoid overload and allow me to plan ahead and see the clear path towards which I am working.
It feels good to cross things off my list, and even when the list is long. Taking on small, short, tasks are easy to tackle.
2. Write it down!
This goal can be applied on two ways, I plan on writing down my plans, as well as my thoughts and ideas. My planner is my best friend. I take it everywhere and write everything down in it. If I did not have it I would be lost. I am pretty good at writing things down but I want to reaffirm that goal.
I have also gotten into the habit of carrying around a tiny blank notebook. In it, I have been writing all of the random, but great, ideas I get throughout the day. Sometimes it has to do with homework or the direction of an essay I need to write. Sometimes it is about a blog post or a meal idea.
I have started writing all of these things down instead of just saying to myself “I need to remember that for later” because I never do. Now, when I go back and leaf through the notebook all of these great ideas come back to me. Sometimes I can’t even believe that I was the one to think of them.
I also find that this helps clear my brain. Sometimes it is going so fast, and thoughts are swirling around, and around, while I am trying to concentrate on something else. I have noticed when I write it down, I can concentrate better afterwards. I am going to run with this, and see how it turns out.
1 Review flashcards for each class daily.
I make a ton of flashcards every semester but for some reason, despite my best intentions, I really put most of their mileage on about 2 weeks before my exam. This semester I intend to review them every day. While there are only a few I will probably go through them daily, but as they accumulate I might dedicate 10 to 15 minutes with each class a day. I think it would be a nice refresher as we dig deeper into material, to be able to quickly review past facts and terminology on the go.
What are your goals this semester, and how do you plan on achieving them? Are you just going to work hard, or do you have a plan to get there? Is there something new you want to try this semester to refine your studying habits? Let me know in the comments!
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