This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Cengage Unlimited. The opinions and text are all mine.
If you’ve been following my blog for several years now, you would know that I am a current college student. I actually moved to Chicago for school, and I am so grateful I did as I’ve now fallen in love with the city and everything it has to offer. While blogging and social media takes up a big part of my life now, I still have to prioritize school (at least for another year – this fall I will be entering my senior year!)
It’s easy to get overwhelmed when juggling school, a job/internship/and a social life. Trust me, I’ve had my fair share of minor mental breakdowns and all-nighters in the library. However, I’ve learned a lot during my time in college and now try to set myself up for success the summer before every fall semester begins, so I can start my academic year off on the right foot. In today’s post, I’m discussing a few of the ways I personally relieve some of my school-related stress and how you can, too.
Take care of YOU, first
A big mistake I think a lot of college students make is that they run themselves thin before ever pumping the breaks and taking a step back. If you aren’t careful, school and all its stress can take a serious toll on your mental (and even sometimes physical!) health. In order to be able to focus on school, make sure that you first are taking care of yourself and treating your mind and body right. There are tons of different ways to do this, but a few examples include:
- working out on a regular schedule
- eating clean and good-for-you foods
- getting 8-10 hours of sleep per night
Sure, we’ve all heard these tips before. But do you actually hold yourself accountable to taking care of YOU?
Use all your resources
In this day and age, college students literally have almost anything they could ever need for school at their fingertips. Most schools provide extra resources for students to take advantage of, and if you haven’t discovered those resources yet, I encourage you to reach out to your academic advisor or ask friends what they like to use. This year I plan to use Cengage Unlimited. If you haven’t heard of Cengage Unlimited yet: prepare to have your mind blown. Basically, you pay one single price for one semester that grants you access to all your Cengage courses, their library of eBooks, online homework and study tools, and a print rental for every activated digital course. Cengage Unlimited is a life-saver as it consolidates all your resources in one easy-to-use platform and helps you learn more for less money. I’m seriously bummed Cengage Unlimited wasn’t around for my first few years of school and highly recommend any college students out there check it out.
Get organized
I’m a very visual person. By that, I mean my surroundings and what I see can affect my overall mood and motivation throughout the day. If my bedroom’s a mess, it can put a damper on my overall productivity. That’s why as soon as I wake up, I make my bed, fluff my pillows, etc. The same applies to my mindset when heading into a new semester of school. I like to get as organized as possible before classes actually start so that I don’t have to run around like a chicken with its head cut off after syllabus week. Getting organized can be simple, whether it’s clearing a space in your dorm room for your desk/laptop or taking a trip to the store to get new folders and binders, go the extra mile and stay ahead of the curve. You’ll thank yourself later, I promise!
That’s it: those are my 3 must-have tips for getting prepared for a new semester of school ahead. I hope all you college students out there have a wonderful fall semester, whether you’re a freshman or a senior like me!
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