Dear Freshman Self,
Now a senior, over three and a half years after your first day of class at the University of Arkansas, I have some guidance and advice to get you not only through your first year, but the years that follow. The advice is on how to manage and organize. You will be so productive and thankful once you get your method down!
One of things you heard most often before heading off to college, was the importance of time management. This couldn’t be more true in your first year and then in subsequent years when your schedule gets busier and your to-do-list gets longer. Time management is not only the key to getting things done, but it allows you to balance studying and social activities! When planned right, you can do more than you think in a day.
The most important thing to do at the beginning of the semester is to write down the dates of all of your exams in your planner in red. You will need to schedule things around these days, as well as the days leading up to exams. The next step is to plan your week out. Start your week off right by writing out a list of what you must do during the week on Sunday. It will help you to write out what you want to get done on each particular day of the week. Include things like laundry and working out, because they are just as important! Prioritize your list and do the most important things first. These are the things that will need your full concentration and will most likely take the most time. Once you have everything checked off for what you wanted to do that day, relax. Take this time to talk with friends and family, or watch your favorite TV show. Then, SLEEP! Aim for 8 hours. (You will try to compensate lack of sleep with coffee, but it will catch up with you!!!) The next morning you will wake up feeling ready to go. Remember: everything is possible with hard work and determination 🙂
-Selina
