How to Get Back Into the Swing of College After a 5-Week Break

By Kelsey Lange on January 18, 2017

You cringe as you set your alarm for 8 a.m. the Sunday night before your first day of classes. The thought of sitting in a classroom again after five weeks seems painful. As hard as you try, you cannot get your mind to switch back into school mode. And though the semester has not begun, your mindset is already jumbled and unorganized.

College students all over the world look forward to winter break throughout the fall semester. It is the first long break from classes after four months. You can easily take not worrying about schoolwork for granted. That is why getting back into the swing of things can become difficult at the start of the Spring semester.

The first step to beginning a new semester is acknowledging that it is a new start. Whether your previous semesters were good or bad, it is important to start with a fresh mindset. This can help you to remember that no matter what your GPA might be, these classes count just as much as the last classes have. Do not be discouraged by your previous grades and do not be too confident and let yourself fall behind.

Get into a schedule that you are comfortable with, one that you can continue for the following months. The hardest part of beginning new classes is knowing that falling into an easy schedule right away is not going to happen. Finding a good rhythm takes time, but in the meantime, it is easy to feel lost and chaotic. Do not stress, this is your time to find your balance, but just remember it’s the same for everyone else, including your professors. It is important to not push a schedule on yourself — you have time to figure out what works best.

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It is good to remember that your professors are in a similar situation to your own. They are there to understand if you are struggling in any way. It is much more beneficial to reach out to your professors if you feel yourself falling behind in the first few weeks rather than waiting it out. It might be too late to voice your distress in a class near midterms. Establish a relationship with your professors as soon as possible.

This is your time to not only figure out time management for your classes but also to schedule in your extracurriculars. If you made it your New Year’s resolution to go to the gym more, like many have, add that to your schedule. If you make this a habit within your already structured schedule it will feel easier to fit in a workout.

Motivation is key for a good start to your semester. When asked about how she motivates herself to do her best each semester, Rider University senior Amanda Ehlers said, “I set goals for myself; this way I can work toward them rather than coasting through the rest of the year.” New Year’s resolutions can seem daunting but are not if you set goals each semester.

However, do not make the habit of setting goals that are unobtainable. This is where students might go wrong when jumping into the semester. Start small with a goal like getting homework done before 10 or seeing friends more often. This way you don’t overwhelm yourself before classwork has even begun.

On the other hand, do not be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. A new semester is a great time to branch out and get involved. Consider joining a club, sorority, or just attending a basketball game every once in a while. Take advantage of what your school offers to you.

Ehlers said, “I like to think of the start of a new semester as a restart and even though I am going into my final one I still want to make the best of it by doing as much as I can.”

A small but very rewarding tip is to wake up earlier before the new semester begins and forces you to. This can seem pointless at the time but proves helpful when classes start. This will get you into the habit of beginning your day at a specific time. Once you become used to this it will be less painful to set your alarm the night before your first day of classes.

The struggle of setting your mindset back into the swing of school is very relevant after a long winter break. If you remember that this semester is a fresh start, give yourself some time to adjust to a new schedule, set goals for yourself, and practice waking up early, and a new semester will seem much less intimidating.

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