Dear reader,
Long time, no chat. I will say, I have missed sitting down and writing these articles, and after the summer, I have so many ideas brewing.
First, I want to say I’m happy you’re here. It was a long summer, and I hope yours was full of adventures, but also plenty of time for self-care and destressing.
Having the summer is great, but it’s also an easy time to forget that you’re a college student and have to go back to school. I will be the first to admit that I haven’t had the easiest time getting back into the rhythm.
It’s hard to adjust to suddenly having all of your hours filled. And, for any first-years reading this, welcome to UW-Eau Claire. I’m sure you’re feeling even more overwhelmed by the start of school.
I know it seems overwhelming and like your world has completely changed from August to September. It’s a feeling you get no matter what year you are in school.
How do you make this transition easier? First, sit down and start planning. If you’re not a planner person, use a calendar app on your phone. I know it’s a lot of work, but the only way to remember all of the stuff you have planned is to write it down, speaking from experience.
Your classes become melded into your memory, but those little meetings, new jobs and club activities can easily slip your mind. It’s better to avoid that right off the bat.
Second, make to-do lists. Don’t get overwhelmed by the amount of school work you have to do so early in the semester, or all of the errands you have to run — adulting is a blast, I know. It’s a lot easier to sit down and write it all out so you don’t forget anything.
Things will sneak up on you, and everything can start to pile up fast, but just take it one step at a time.
Every day, just find time to sit down and get things down so your Sundays are suddenly the dump for everything you procrastinated on throughout the week (me writing this Sunday night).
Third, find time for fun. Watch your favorite TV show, keep up on your hobbies, hang out with friends and go out and explore Eau Claire. It’s all about balance.
Another reason to do your work during the week is so that you have the weekends free to simply be a college student. If you don’t make time for the fun things, you will quickly lose yourself in the madness
Finally, rediscover yourself. Whether you’re new to college or coming back for another year, you need to push to do the things you love, find the people who make you happy and make new memories you’ll have forever.
Every new year is a new chance. You don’t have to be the person you were last year or last semester. You can always reshape things and create a new story. This is something I have to remind myself every year.
Nothing is ever set in stone. You can always become the person you want to be and write the story you want to write. It’s college, the time of endless possibilities. Use that to your advantage.
Now that I’ve given you all of these tips, I want you to take a moment to remember all of those amazing summer memories, and keep them in your mind to remember forever.
It’s time for another year, but don’t view this as scary, view this as another chapter in your life. Make it the best chapter yet.
Lots of love and hugs of encouragement,
Skyler
Schad can be reached at [email protected].
