First day of school pic :)

Hi everyone! It's the start of a new week and the new semester of school. I am honestly such a nerd when it comes to school, I actually love it and love studying. Even though this is only my second year of college, I feel like I have some valuable advice to my gals just starting school or who have been in for a while. There are so many people who go to college unprepared, unmotivated and who quite frankly don't know how to handle the pressures of classes, social life and being on your own for the first time ever. These are the steps I have taken to be successful in ALL of my classes and how I stay motivated each year.

Step 1: GOALS

To stay motivated throughout the school year, I always make it a point to set my yearly goals. Not only do I set them, but I write them down and have it somewhere where I can be reminded of them daily. My goals are almost always the same with a few tweaks here and there but the #1 goal is always "make all A's in all my classes" (lol). I know grades aren't THE most important thing in college, BUT it does feel pretty darn good for all of your hard work to be paid off with A's. My other goals are always specific to things I can do better in classes that are particularly challenging to me. I'm not perfect and college can be pretty hard, but it's important to remember that there is always a way to do better. Keep your goals in the front of your mind.

Step 2: PLANNING

I use my planner religiously! Every year, I get excited to buy a new, cute planner and different color pens to use for my different classes. It is SO IMPORTANT to write down everything. As soon as I get my syllabuses, I write down all the dates of my tests, quizzes, homework, and papers that are due, so I can always be prepared for when I need to do my assignments. It seems silly to do this but if you write everything down in the beginning, it's easy to just pull it out and check what you need to do every day. This is one of the best ways to stay organized and stay prepared through out the year.

Step 3: TAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF

College is full of stress and it's easy to let that stress consume your daily life. I for one, have made this mistake many times. To destress, I always take time for myself to do the things that I want weekly. Sometimes I like to go on weekend trips, or go see my family or try to do something fun with my friends. It is so important to take care of yourself, your body and your mind. You have to just do what's best for you even if that means sleeping in, taking a day off, etc. Taking time for yourself will help you regenerate and get back to being focused and motivated. Don't drain yourself to the point of no return lol. Love yourself and listen to your body! Another great way to take time for yourself is to get involved somehow & someway. That could either mean joining a sorority (GO CHI O) a club, a sport, finding a hobby to share with others. Do something that you can occupy your time with other than school.

Step 4: Don't procrastinate

Haha I know what you're thinking. Really? Yes, it's so cliche but it's SO true. I can't tell you how many times I've written a 4000 word paper the night before it's due and that is NOT a good way to do this folks. Don't put that stress on your life when you can write that paper a little at a time for two weeks. Use your planner to keep track of your assignments and do them early! Doing my work early has helped me so much because then I end up having time to spend on myself.

That's all for now. Hope this helps my girlies in college who sometimes struggle with planning or being motivated or succeeding in classes. You can find my planner HERE.