Category: COLLEGE LIFE

Sleep often gets sacrificed in college. Whether that be by pulling all-nighters before exams, or cramming in late night study sessions. It’s something every college student has done before. It can help you check things off your to do list, however it can do more harm than good.

Sleep Affects Memory & Concentration

How and Why its Important

Have you ever heard the saying “sleep on it”? It is actually scientifically proven that sleep helps consolidate what students learn throughout the day. Short term memory is also strengthened during sleep. These important aspects of your health and memory require an adequate amount of REM sleep each night.

Benefits your Academic Performance

Sleep and Academics — How they Work Together

Without sleep, your focus, creativity, and your critical thinking don’t function at the level they should. Your alertness in class and performance on tests are greatly affected by how well you sleep at night. To avoid feeling this way, it is so important for students to get their sleep schedule in check. Put yourself and your academics first, and prioritize your sleep schedule!

Improve Sleep Quality as a Student

Optimize your College Night Routine

The best tip for students who are trying to regulate their sleep schedule is to keep it consistent. That means going to bed and waking up at the same time everyday, even on the weekends. I know that sounds like a challenge, but overtime it will help your body understand when it’s time to wind down. Another beneficial tip is to find ways to relax at night, such as reading, journaling, or watching your favorite show! Doing so will help you calm down, and might help you fall asleep faster!

I hope you learned about how to manage, control, and improve your sleep schedule as a college student. Take these tips and apply them to your life, and you will hopefully see improvements in your academics as well as feeling well rested!

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Tons of students hit this wall around midterms or just before finals. Feelings of exhaustion, stress, low motivation become more prevalent in your everyday life. Especially when the days get shorter and there is less sunlight, it’s hard to feel motivated. I wrote out some strategies to help students keep going in times like this!

Revisit Your Why

Motivation often comes from reconnecting with purpose

Reminding yourself of your long-term goals can give you just the motivation boost that you need. Why you chose your major, what you’re working toward, and what you are doing to accomplish those goals are all great reminders of why you are pushing so hard!

Adjust Your Routine, Don’t Overhaul It

Use planners, to-do lists, and calendar apps to stay organized

Sometimes implementing small tweaks in your schedule work better when you’re tired and drained. Some examples of this include setting realistic daily goals instead of overwhelming to-do lists, studying for shorter time periods, and changing your study environment!

Take Care of Your Body & Mind

Mental breaks are important, it’s okay to rest without guilt

Sleep, nutrition, and movement are directly tied to focus and motivation. These elements all play a crucial role in how you feel everyday. When you are taking care of yourself, your body is able to go the extra mile in all aspects of your life! It is so important you prioritize these aspects, I promise you will feel so much better!

Lean on Your Support System

So many people in your life are rooting for you!

Reaching out to friends, classmates, or professors can make your feel supported in so many ways, even if it’s just a simple conversation! Connection helps, even when you don’t realize it

I also encourage you to use your campus resources! There is always counseling centers, tutoring, or study groups to lend a helping hand!

Remember – slumps are temporary

I encourage students to take small, consistent steps during the next couple weeks of the semester! Persistence, hard work, and dedication pays off tremendously. Every completed assignment, exam, and study session is a step in the right directions!

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Finding the study methods and habits that work for you can seem like a trial and error process. You don’t have to study harder — you just need the right strategies! Once you find what works for you, it is a total game changer. Whether you’re trying to survive midterms, boost your GPA, or stop cramming before tests, these study tips will help you focus smarter, stay organized, and actually enjoy the process of studying!

Putting Your Phone Away

Out of Sight – Out of Mind 📱

My phone can be a huge distraction when I am studying or trying to get assignments done. Picking up your phone to check 1 notification can lead to an endless Tik-Tok scroll and disrupt your productivity. I have found that putting my phone on Do Not Disturb and setting it in my backpack or somewhere across the room if very beneficial! This helps the temptation of picking it up and starting to scroll

Rewriting Notes in Your Own Words

Not just memorize material – but fully understand it!

Instead of rereading your notes, try rewriting them in a way that makes sense to you! This promotes active recall in your brain. Changing information into your own words forces your brain to process and understand it — not just memorize it.

My favorite way to practice this is to write on a whiteboard. Most college libraries or study rooms provide students with whiteboards on campus! I encourage you to try it out next time you have an exam coming up!

The Pomodoro Study Technique

25 Minutes of studying – 5 minutes of break time

This technique is very beneficial, whether that be for studying or crossing assignments off your to do list! Your study time into focused 25-minute sessions, followed by a 5-minute break. It keeps your brain fresh and helps you power through big tasks without burning out and losing motivation! Those short breaks are perfect for stretching your body, grabbing a snack, or checking your phone!

Find the Perfect Study Environment

Libraries, Coffee Shops, & Study Rooms – try them all!

I have learned that changing your environment when studying actually does a lot more than you think. Switching the location up keeps studying from becoming boring and helps your brain stay focused and ready to absorb new information! There are plenty of places on your college campus that are perfect study locations, go try them out!

Find a Study Buddy

Grab your roommate, classmate, or your friends!

Studying with someone else can keep you accountable and make learning more fun! Personally, I have found that it promotes my motivation and pushes me to get more assignments done! Quizzing each other, sharing notes, or just study in silence together is more helpful than you realize!

As most colleges are past the halfway mark of the semester, it is inevitable that students are going to lose some motivation. That is why trying out new study methods might boost productivity and promote motivation for burnt out students! These study tips are all ones that I highly recommend trying out for yourself! Thank you for reading!

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Navigating grocery shopping as a college student seems like a challenge at first. Finding products that aren’t processed and filled with unnecessary additives seems nearly impossible at times. After some practice, my roommates and I have found great products and ingredients that make amazing meals and snacks! In this article, I will share our typical grocery list that is filled with nutrient rich foods that last without us having to go back to the store!

You might be wondering where we get these groceries, I have found Aldi to be the best store for us! They offer budget friendly prices and high quality food, how can it get better than that?

Protein

If you are an athlete or an active college student, you know how important it is to meet your daily protein goals!

At Aldi, we typically reach for turkey lunch meat, chicken breasts, and ground beef! Turkey makes for great lunches in between classes, I have found it beneficial to throw it in a salad or make sandwiches. Chicken breasts, shredded chicken, and ground beef are so versatile when creating meals for dinner and will last for a good amount of time in the freezer too. Buffalo chicken dip, tacos, and burger bowls are our go to when preparing these meats!

Produce

Full of antioxidants, essential vitamins, and fibers that are so good for you!

Fruits and Veggies are my favorite part of the grocery trip! I absolutely love having a fresh restock of all my favorite fruits! At the store, we typically reach for oranges, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, apples, and blackberries! We combine most of those fruits to make the perfect fruit salad, which adds some vitamins to your breakfast and goes great with lunches!

For vegetables, we love to keep lettuce, tomato, and cucumbers on hand! Again, these ingredients are so versatile and great for you to have in general!

Carbs

Everyone loves a healthy amount of carbs, and it just completes the meal!

Bagel, bread (specifically sourdough), and tortillas are a must have for quick meals in college. Tortillas are always a great option because you can create wraps, burritos, tacos, and quesadillas. Aldi has the best sourdough for a great price, so that has been our favorite thing lately!

Dairy

Grabbing essential dairy products at the store helps your intake of nutrients and calcium stay at a good level!

Products like milk, eggs, cheese, and yogurt are great products to incorporate into your diet! The are essential for delicious recipes and great things to have on hand in your fridge! Usually it takes us awhile to get through these so we don’t have run out of these products too fast!

It is so important to give your body healthy and balanced food options, which is why we absolutely love shopping at Aldi! Those are the Go-To products that my roommates and I have found so beneficial for us and our meal prep! Not only does this grocery list fuel us with nutrients, it is also balanced and completed with all the different food groups!

I encourage you to incorporate some of these finds into your grocery list! Thank you for reading, make sure you follow along for more!

Having an overflowing To-Do list can make you feel like you are drowning in school work. This is something that is almost unavoidable as a student and bound to happen to everyone at some point. Here are just a few ways you can better balance your life in college!

I view school, my social life, and self care as the top 3 important things to maximize and balance while in college. Managing all 3 at once can be challenging for everyone, so here are some tips on how to juggle your academics, social life, and your personal wellness!

Managing your Classwork

How to balance all of your class work, even when you have an overwhelming amount of work to do

I am a currently a Junior in college, and over the years I have found what schedule and strategies that help me stay organized and on top of all my class work! The thing I find most effective is a planner. Writing out my plans, my schedule, and all my assignments at the beginning of the week helps me visualize all the things that must get done. I find my planner very helpful to look back on throughout the week, it keeps me on task and prevents me from falling behind in my classes. Planners definitely help me balance my life life in college.

The second thing I find most helpful is managing my due dates by difficulty. Prioritizing my assignments by difficultly was something that I wasn’t the best at when I was a first year college student. I found that completing the more time consuming assignments before others made a big difference. Once it was off my plate, I felt relieved and more motivated to take on the rest of my assignments. I now practice this habit weekly and it has definitely made a difference in my productivity!

Staying on top of your Social Life

Most Students view social life as one of the most important aspects of college, learn how to better balance that below

Keeping up with all of your relationships in and outside of college can be challenging. A good approach that I have implemented in my everyday life is to social activities, but incorporate studying or other priorities of yours. Whether that be go to a workout class with a friend, join a study group, or find small sections of your week to devote to those who are important to you. Quality interactions and quality time with friends and family often matter more than quantity.

Prioritizing Yourself & Self-Care

Put yourself first when balancing your life in college

Taking care of your body and mind is the key to being your best self. When there is a lot expected out of you in aspects such as school and social life, it is more than important to put yourself first. Taking care of your body starts with the basics, that means getting enough sleep, eating balanced meals, staying hydrated, and exercising regularly. My favorite way to incorporate self care in my everyday life is by working out. Regular exercise can improve your focus, reduce your stress, and give you more energy throughout the day. Even if your daily movement is just a walk across campus, you are still setting your body and mind up for success! I encourage you to find which outlet of self care helps you out the most!

Being a college student can often feel like a trial and error process, some tips and tricks do not work the same for everyone. Now that you have gathered some more ideas on how to balance your life in college, don’t be afraid to test them out and implement them into your weekly schedule! Be sure to follow along on my other platforms for more content!

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