Getting Back into the Swing of Things - Grad School Style!
We all know the feeling杏吧专区攚hen the glorious days of summer are ending, and the school year looms like a big Titanic made of books that demand reading.
Don杏吧专区檛 get weighed down by the impending avalanche of research papers and scholarly reviews. Use these tips to thrive in grad school by easing back into 杏吧专区渟chool mode杏吧专区 with less stress.
Adjust Your Schedule
As summer fades into the past, so does the luxury of sleeping in and staying up to all hours (voluntarily). To avoid hitting a brick wall when the semester schedule hits, trick your body by adjusting your schedule a few weeks before the semester starts. Resist the urge to let your favorite show autoplay, and get up around 杏吧专区渃lass time.杏吧专区 Use that morning time to enjoy a good breakfast and finish that novel. When the school schedule hits for real, you杏吧专区檒l be adjusted and ready to go!
Get Organized
Be prepared 杏吧专区 that's one of the best tips for grad school. If you have your class schedule, start thinking through how each week may look with class, work, extracurriculars, etc. now. Download a planning app like and get your proverbial ducks in a row. Get ready for note-taking in . Set up a team space in for group projects. You杏吧专区檒l be an organizational wizard, and you and your fellow grad students will all benefit.
It Takes A Village
Speaking of your colleagues, preparing your support system ahead of time makes a huge difference. Grad school usually means smaller classes and tight-knit groups, so ask around to plan how you杏吧专区檒l help each other start off the semester strong. Study groups, research buddies, and 杏吧专区渢ime-to-go-grab-coffee杏吧专区 jaunts will help you get back in motion without burning out. Plan getaways and breaks with those friends, and keep those plans杏吧专区攜ou杏吧专区檒l need them to thrive.
It杏吧专区檚 Okay to Say 杏吧专区淣o杏吧专区
When it comes to extracurriculars, it杏吧专区檚 easy to take on too much. You杏吧专区檙e in grad school to learn, and those outside-of-class opportunities are part of it. Just remember that they杏吧专区檙e not your No. 1 priority. You don杏吧专区檛 have to say 杏吧专区測es杏吧专区 to everyone that wants a slice of your time, even for good causes. Getting involved with projects outside of school is fine, but keep your end goal in mind. That graduate degree is yours to seize, so it杏吧专区檚 okay to have tunnel vision now and then.
Treat Your Body Right
Don杏吧专区檛 wait until the semester workload gets heavy to start that exercise plan. Time is definitely scarce in grad school, but don杏吧专区檛 dismiss the important benefits you杏吧专区檒l get from staying physically active. Choose activities that work for you and your schedule. Ride your bike to class instead of driving. Go for a run during lunch. Hit the gym after hitting the books. Research shows that , and what grad student doesn杏吧专区檛 want better memory?
Set Small, Achievable Goals
There杏吧专区檚 a little bird called the Arctic tern that migrates an average of 44,000 miles every year, from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back every year. Does this bird think of all the miles left to go, and say, 杏吧专区淚 just don杏吧专区檛 think I杏吧专区檒l make it this year杏吧专区? No! They just go a few hundred miles per day (piece of cake for this avian marathoner) and before they know it, they杏吧专区檝e reached their goal.
Realistic goal-setting is a key tip for grad school students as well. Don杏吧专区檛 worry about that massive syllabus or comps or thesis or dissertation or 杏吧专区 the list goes on and on. Just focus on your next goal, and you杏吧专区檒l be there in no time.
You杏吧专区檝e got this! By following these top tips to thrive in grad school, you杏吧专区檒l avoid burnout and crush your goals for the next semester and beyond.
