How to Thrive in Your Next Semester

Hello and welcome back to my blog! Whether you are entering college or university in the fall or

need a year or two to finish your post-secondary program, this advice can apply to you! Below will be a list of my five personal tips for not just surviving, but thriving in your next semester! I hope you enjoy reading and thanks for visiting my blog!

(link of photo: https://www.bestcollegesonline.org/faq/how-important-is-class-size-in-an-online-college-course/ )

1) Create a Budget

Tuition and residence can get expensive, however those are things that you cannot control the prices of. You may think that tuition and residence is all you will be spending money on, but there is actually a lot more! I find myself not always bringing lunch to school or not having enough time in the morning to make coffee before heading to class. As a result, I spend a few dollars on a coffee or snack on campus which adds up overtime. Even just spending $15 a week on snacks and coffee, results in $60 extra dollars for the month. So budgeting how much money you are able to spend on food and drinks a month will stop you from spending too much money. Not only will you find yourself buying food or drinks on campus, but at restaurants if you go every few weeks. Eating at a restaurant a single time can be around $12-$20 dollars and if you go every week... it can definitely add up! If you are living at home than you wouldn't need to pay for groceries, but if you are like me then budgeting for that is an essential. Besides food, another thing you could budget are the night you go out. If you are of legal age and choose to drink and go out, then that could be an extra $20-$40 you spend in a single night for drinks, transportation, and so on. So if you budget how much money you are willing to spend to go out and how often you go out then you can save a lot of money, trust me!

2) Go on Ratemyprofessor.com

There are hundreds of classes available, which means that there are so many professors and most of them you probably will never hear of. As a result, it can be hard to know if the professor teaching a class you registered for is actually good at teaching. To avoid taking a class with a not-so-good professor, I recommend going on ratemyprofessor.com to see if your professor has been rated by students. If they have bad reviews, than there is a high chance that you should steer clear of them. Ever since I heard about this website in my first year of university, I've used it before registering for all my classes!

3) Use a Planner

College or university takes up a lot of your time. If you add in club meetings, study sessions, going to the gym, or work... than life could feel even more hectic. I suggest using a planner. It doesn't have to be a $30 one from Chapters... even a notebook from the dollar store can work! Just having a notebook or planner to write down deadlines and what needs to get done on a daily basis can make your life feel less stressful. I use a planner I got from the dollar store to write down exactly what I need complete and the class it is for, and if I need to film a video, edit a video, or write a post for my blog. Every time I complete something I check it off and, as weird as it sounds, it's very satisfying for me, because I feel like I accomplished something!

4) Get Sleep

If you are taking four or five courses and have heavy coursework, sleep can feel like a distant memory. If you have a routine of sleeping late at night and having to wake up at 7:00 or 8:00 in the morning, then you may be sleep deprived. Sleep deprivation impacts your ability to focus during class and do school work effectively. You may be finding yourself sleeping in and missing class because of your lack of sleep. People say that getting enough sleep before an exam is important, however getting enough sleep before a day of school is just as important!

5) Use Resources at School

Colleges and universities are similar, in that they typically offer:

- Academic Advising

- Wellness Centre

- Writing Centre

- Counselling

These resources at your school can make your classes and the quality of your life so much better. Academic advising can relive the stress you have when it comes to thinking:

- Am I in the right class?

- Is this class a requirement?

- When is the earliest I could graduate?

- Am I going to fail this class?

A wellness centre can be a place where you can talk to an adult about your concerns about stress, nutrition, sleep, etc. A writing centre can assist you on a report or essay you are writing for a class, because as you've probably been taught multiple times in high school, having someone edit or proof read your work can make you notice a mistake you never saw. It's always best to have another pair of eyes read your work and see if they understand what you're trying to say. Lastly, if you are feeling depressed or dealing with a problem or situation in your personal life, talking to a counsellor can make you understand how you are feeling and give you guidance. It is required to be a confidential and a safe environment to talk about whatever you are experiencing.

#semester #school #univeristy #college