The crazy chaos that is the first week back at school is now over and a second, settled week has begun. Last week was great- full of overdue reunions, new academic passions and perhaps most importantly: lots of coffee.
It was also unsustainable- too little sleep, too much procrastinating. But by Friday, I felt like I was getting back into a good routine.
Now that I'm settled, I have revisited my temporarily forgotten January resolution (hi, organization) and re-evaluated my schedule so that I can better accomplish my work, spend time with friends and get to sleep at a reasonable hour.
Someone once told me that every hour spent doing homework during the day equals 1.5 hours of work at night. That person is certainly right. Around 11 PM, reading Thought Catalog articles seems far more appealing than working on new vocabulary for a language course. Today, I got the majority of my work done before dinner and have planned the week out so that I won't be up late studying.
I use both a daily agenda and a lined notepad to plan out my days/weeks. I write appointments (i.e. class, meetings, meals, extra curricular activities) in my agenda and daily to do lists (i.e. homework, emails, errands) on lined paper. I carry both of these around all day to keep me on track.
For study breaks (I mainly need one right after class gets out), I usually get a cup of coffee and respond to emails, check the news and evaluate my to do list/agenda. Then, I review the notes I took in class and get to work, rotating between school work (I'm taking two English classes and an Italian course, so it's important to break up the reading) and errands.
My nights are usually filled with activities for my sorority, meetings for clubs or dinners with friends. If I have more homework, I do it afterward (last week I was definitely doing way too much homework late at night) or get ahead with reading.
At the end of the day, I unwind by taking a shower or listening to music and check my agenda for what I have going on the next day. I also pack my school bag and pick out my outfit so mornings aren't rushed (which they always are- ugh!). After a busy day, there's no better feeling than settling down in bed and falling right to sleep.
Now, I find myself knee-deep in Great Expectations and so happy to be back in the swing of things.
Happy winter quarter!
xoxo