With semester one officially in my rearview mirror, I wanted to come into the new year with lessons I learned in the first semester in mind. The first semester felt like a college trial run; I was experimenting with my time, not taking things as seriously as I should, and I just felt tired all the time. This semester, I want things to be different. 

The first thing I wanted to do was give myself a “grace period” week. I returned to school on Monday and wanted to focus on finding my classes and getting all the materials I needed for school. Along with that, I had a lot of sorority events I had to go to, so getting through all of that was key.

Now that I’ve figured out where all my classes are, I want to focus on my time management skills. I always preach the importance of time management, but it’s much easier said than done. Truth be told, I’m still figuring it out. My biggest goal this semester is to maintain a healthy and consistent workout schedule. Last semester, I was sick and tired most of the time, so I wasn’t able to go to the gym as much as I hoped. My dad and I have challenged each other to consistently work out and hold each other accountable. It’s fun to get your family involved in your semester resolutions, too! 

Going hand in hand with the workout schedule, I also wanted to focus on my sleep hygiene. I think part of the reason my immune system wasn’t as strong and I felt so tired was the lack of sleep I was getting. My roommate and I now strive to be in bed by 11 or 11:30 on weekdays to get a good, full night of sleep. I’ve already noticed it helping my productivity and motivation. 

Most of my lectures have returned to in-person format. I believe this is going to help tremendously with my ability to focus and remember things from class. I learned with online learning, I get distracted easily. It’s easy to turn on a lecture and go on your phone, make some food, or clean your room. However, now that I’m back in a classroom, I feel more focused in lectures. Despite it being really cold here right now, I don’t mind the walk and some fresh air, and being in an in-person lecture will be very beneficial for me! 

I hope by creating new goals and learning from last semester, I will start to see some substantial changes in my motivation and production levels. I will be sure to keep you posted!

Go Hawks!

Abbie