After a month-long break and the beginning of a new year, Fordham students are back on campus and starting the spring 2024 semester. The transition back to school after being home for so long can pose challenges for some students, whether it be homesickness or adapting to new classes. While January is notorious for being the month of self-improvement for most people, it is especially pertinent to prioritize your goals and wellness during a period of change and adaptation.
It is definitely becoming a popular trend to educate yourself on skincare and how to correctly take care of your appearance. While this is important, all facets of life require bolstering and now is the perfect time to do it. Classes are just starting and students likely have the most free time they ever will until finals are over. Therefore, here are some of the most important goals to hit to start the semester off right.
First off, establishing a weekly schedule or routine can easily help you adapt back into college life seamlessly and avoid stress later on in the year. I personally felt that coming back to school was an abrupt 180-degree turn from life back home, where I mostly sat at home with no agenda. Breaks are obviously vital for college students,but embracing some semblance of a routine can promote your productivity and create healthy habits early on, before your course load gets heavier.
It does not have to be so intense that you know what your plan is hour by hour. It can start with small tasks, such as having a consistent wake-up time each day. Of course, if you do not have 8:30s, there is no logical reason to be an early riser (unless you want to!). Waking up at a set time each day fosters a productive mindset and starts each day with a sense of consistency and stability. Continuing this throughout your week and carving out time for doing work will make it easier to get work done.
Along with having set times to do homework or work on other projects, down time is a must. Burning out is an inevitable part of college but no one wants it to happen three weeks in. The best way to stave off this feeling is by emphasizing your free time. If you have a particularly packed schedule one day, estimating when to take breaks and relax can help mitigate feelings of stress or anxiety. When you perhaps are not so busy and have a free day, try to avoid feeling guilty or as if you should be doing something more “productive.” Having days off allows you to rejuvenate and be prepared for more taxing days.
Rest and relaxation are good ways to deal with the stress of school, but movement is also important for mental health. You don’t need to start weightlifting at the RamFit everyday, but little changes can boost your thinking and positivity. Things such as a 30-minute yoga routine or going outside for a walk helps you clear your mind and focus on the one task at hand. It is also a great time to find new music or catch up on your favorite podcast. Getting in movement everyday will eventually turn into a habit that will boost your overall health and well-being.
The last piece of advice I will impart to you is a bit more fun: try something new! A new year opens us all up to endless possibilities. We can shed the person that we were in 2023 and focus on who we want to become in 2024. I do not mean a personality change or dropping every single one of your friends, but rather opening yourself up to a new experience, maybe something you would never have thought to do last semester. There are a million different ways to go about this, such as joining a new club, being more bold and asking someone from class to hang out or taking up a new hobby. It can be as simple as trying a food you have never thought to try. I just implore you to go outside of your comfort zones. It may not be the best thing you have ever done, but I promise you will walk away from the experience having learned something.
These few ideas are not the 10 commandments of how to survive college by any means,but they are simple and effective ways to start off this semester by taking care of yourself and also taking advantage of the new year. I wish you all the best of luck this semester and hope it is the best semester ever!
