An Open Letter to Freshman: Starting Fresh

Dear Classmates,

          It’s the beginning of a new year and every new year we set ourselves some goals. Every year we fight to accomplish them or end up breaking them within the first week, but not only is it a new year it’s also the beginning of a new semester. In the beginning of the semester we also set goals for ourselves saying “I’m going to get straight A’s” or “I’m not leaving this assignment last minute!” A new semester usually means a fresh start, and most of us probably want to avoid some of the mistakes we made last year, so here are some tips that helped me!

1.    Buy a Planner

       A planner sounds really boring but it’s the best way to stay organized! Throughout high school I never used a planner and I thought that writing down my assignments was a waste of time.  I would constantly forget what assignments were due, causing me to lose points in class. Last fall, when I started CSUN I didn’t know what to expect but the only thing I heard people talk about was how “If you don’t turn in one assignment you fail the class!” I was so scared of failing the class that I decided to buy a planner. Once I started using my planner I realized how much I loved writing down my assignments and writing down important test dates. I was never behind because every time I opened up my planner everything I needed to know was written down. I could have had better grades in high school if I had taken the time to write my homework down. With a planner you will always know what’s due and when it’s due!

 

             2.    Procrastination

        Most of us probably prefer to do things later rather than sooner. We have probably received an assignment a couple weeks before but we don’t take the time to look at it until the night before. Usually we stay all night trying to finish it instead of spending an hour or less every night. In high school, my English teacher loved assigning projects and one thing I learned was that doing a little bit every night is less stressful and easier than doing it the night before. If you do it the night before and something happens to your project you don’t have time to fix it! You have to turn it in the way it is or lose points because it’s late. Don’t risk your grade just because you wanted to spend more time on social media, the easiest thing to do is work on it a little bit every night.

 

            3.    Remember to Take a Break

     Staying focused and on top of things is great but sometimes we have those weeks where we have two tests on the same day or you have two research papers due at the same time and you forget to take a break. You put so much pressure on yourself to finish the work you have, but in the end you feel overwhelmed and it stops you from producing your best work. So I recommend you stop working on the assignment and clear your mind. Take the time to do something you enjoy! Go get a coffee, listen to music, take a walk, just take a break and do something that will help you relax. Once you’re relaxed continue to work on whatever assignment you are working on and you might even realize that you were starting to go off topic. You might have thought of a better idea and you realized that’s what you want to work or talk about instead. But don’t take a break because you want to check your social media, checking your social media is going to distract you from your work and it will take you a longer time to finish your assignment.

          In the end, I hope some of these tips help you start your semester with a new attitude and that you will be able to achieve the goals you have set for yourself. It’s a fresh start so try and avoid the mistakes you made last semester.

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