Back to Reality at ‘Nova

Ashley Jefferson

Holiday break seems to be a little slice of heaven. Staying up until 7 a.m., sleeping until 5 p.m., no midnight fire drills, no homework assignments, no cramming all night for tests – you have no worries at all. Ahh … seems like you’re living the good life, right? Well, unfortunately, all good things must eventually come to an end, and that means back to reality.

The big break has come and gone, and now you’re faced again with all of the daunting tasks that you effortlessly pushed out of your mind for the past three-and-a-half weeks. You’re probably thinking that it will take all the luck in the world, and maybe even a miracle or two, just to get you back in the swing of things. Well, if you are out of luck and miracles don’t seem to be coming your way, here are a few helpful hints that will have you back in tune again in no time.

The most important part of getting back in the swing of things is to focus. With this being the first weekend back, there will be tons of things to do. However, maybe it’s not the best idea to jump right back into your roaring social life so soon. It isn’t the most exciting way to spend a weekend, but this will give you plenty of time to regain your focus and will make the transition a little easier. And don’t worry, laying low for one weekend won’t be the end of the world.

After regaining your focus, the second most important thing to do is to be on time. When your alarm clock is ringing in your ear so loud that it wakes up nearly your entire hallway, simply hitting the snooze button and rolling over is almost instinctual. As natural as it may seem, that isn’t the best idea. Being known as “that kid” who is always late to class isn’t what you want your professor or your classmates to remember you for. If you have a dreaded 8:30 a.m. class or even if you just aren’t a morning person, simply set your alarm clock 15 minutes earlier. Although it might take some getting used to, it’s a simple way to ensure you give yourself plenty of time to get ready in the morning and make it to class on time.

Once you’ve got timeliness under control, the final part to keep in mind is just to stay on top of things. As tempting as it might be to doze off during a boring lecture, try taking notes to keep yourself attentive. Staying on top of things becomes quite difficult if you are not organized. To solve that, you can make to-do lists, write important dates down on a calendar or simply use sticky notes as reminders. As tedious as it seems, it will definitely help in keeping you abreast of upcoming assignments and other key dates within the semester.

Aside from the start of this new semester, we have also entered a brand new year. So not only should you do all that you can to concentrate on your studies, but you should also try making some New Year’s resolutions as well. Now you’re probably thinking, “No one ever commits to New Year’s resolutions. Why would I even waste my time?” Well if you’re skeptical, then think of a resolution that is realistic for your life.

For instance, if you got a little too carried away at the dinner table over the holidays and gained some unwanted pounds, make an effort to be more health conscious now that school has started again. This doesn’t mean cut out all carbohydrates, run five miles a day and drink Diet Coke. You could do something as easy as going to the gym at least once a week or even walking to class instead of catching the shuttle. Trust me, a New Year’s resolution like that is a simple change that can make a huge difference and is a great way to start off the semester and the new year.

It’s a new year and that means that unfortunately we are back to reality. No one said making the transition would be easy. But now with New Year’s resolutions in place and some helpful hints, you’re all set to get back in the swing of things and make this semester your best.