Welcome Back
Hello X University students and welcome back to yet another exciting year!Hoping everybody has had a fun and restful summer vacation. Also excited to see some new and familiar faces on campus. Undoubtedly, the new year is sure to be peppered with interesting and unique challenges given the hybrid format of the fall 2021 semester.
With the new semester comes an inevitable wave of anxiety. Whether it be managing coursework or a busy extra-curricular schedule, issues are bound to arise because of the new year. But don’t fret! The Ryerson SMASH team has covered all these bases with some helpful tips for lightening the load. Here are three tips and tricks to a successful school season.
Tip #1: Planning out Due Dates in Advance in Planner
At Ryerson SMASH we understand that during the school year the time crunch of multiple assignments can be stressful, especially if it completely escapes your mind that an assignment is due the next day and you haven’t put pen to paper yet. To avoid this tragic and relatable situation, it’s best to jot down all the due dates at the start of the semester to keep things organized. I personally recommend using a physical agenda and jotting down deadlines in the calendar section of each month.
Tip #2: Manage Large Assignments into Bite-Sized Chunks
Say you have a huge paper due next week and you’ve just summoned the courage to begin. You look at the assignment sheet and you instantly feel anxious thinking about the amount of work that needs to be done. One effective technique that minimizes this dreaded overwhelming feeling is to break up a large task into mini manageable tasks. This effectively reduces the stress because you can focus completely on one task at a time. For example, mini task number one could be doing research, followed by writing a thesis and an introduction. This way, you’ll be on your way to accomplish huge assignments one task at a time.
Tip #3: Create a Routine for Yourself
I have personally experienced the all-too common slump when my life is not in order. It’s quite typical for us as we tend to let go of routines during the summer break. However, the new school year is the perfect time to establish a new routine. According to Samantha Heintzelman, assistant professor at Rutgers University, “One aspect is a sense of coherence, of having structure and stability in daily life that seems to help us make sense of the world around us.” Essentially, having a routine increases the structure and stability needed to help humans organize their lives. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/family/article/the-science-behind-create-a-routine-advice-coronavirus (link to article).
Overall, we are excited to welcome back students to the new year now more equipped to deal with the stresses and anxieties that us students might face!
