School has started, thus preventing the spontaneous trips to Crystal Mountain on weekdays.
Holiday parties have been replaced with homework nights, and the burdens of midterms and finals bare down upon us.
The magical wonders of winter break have blown by in a snowless blizzard of fury.
With the end of BC’s three week holiday comes the realization and disbelief that it is over.
Going back to school after winter break is like going back to school after summer vacation. The feelings of a once-relaxed nature have turned into stressful chaos.
Two actions may result: One may become excessively stressed and have feelings of anxiety.
Another possibility is that the relaxation or laziness continues. Here are some tips to balance anxiety and relaxation/laziness:
1. 8+ hours of sleep a night
Many studies have shown that people perform their best with at least eight hours of sleep a night. Staying up all night studying for a test may actually be worse than if you were to get a good night’s sleep.
Although the sleep patterns of most young people permit them to stay up late (due to melatonin release time), many of those same people also have to wake up early as well.
The gain of studying late at night is often not worth the loss of sleep and adequate brain functioning.
2. Attend Class
While this may be obvious, many students will wake up in the morning only to get back in bed due to rainy weather, a late alarm clock, or the inkling of a cold.
Some reasons are legitimate, such as swine flu or a snowstorm, but a tiny cold is hardly worth missing a class you paid for.
Attendance can really affect your grade, simply because material may be covered in class that isn’t in your book, and some professors have attendance policies.
3. Get a day planner
Day planners are not only useful for everyday life, but they are useful for school as well.
Planners can assist you by organizing study times, tracking homework assignments, and reminding you when tests and projects are due.
Many people have a hard time remembering to use planners because it takes time to form the habit. However, that habit is one of the few that you won’t want to break.
4. Cut down on alcohol consumption
Winter break offered great opportunities to drink, include holiday festivities and that New Year’s celebration. Many people take vacation time from work, and with the time off from school, the party animal in many is released.
Excessive alcohol can definitely affect school performance.
5. Start projects right away
After you add the day planner habit, there is another habit you should kick: procrastination.
When you’re tracking assignments in your new day planner, you’ll be able to see when your case study, lab, power point speech, or portfolio is due.
Major class projects are often given at the beginning of the quarter or presented in an assignment calendar.
By starting early on these projects, it will help you succeed in school tremendously.
This is an absolute way to stay on track after a long vacation