5 Things You Must Do Before a New Semester

Whether it’s your first semester at college or your last, the first week back can be overwhelming. You have to learn a different routine than your previous semesters and adjust to your new classes.

It’s easy to become distracted by decorating your dorm to Pinterest-perfection, grocery shopping to fill up your secret stash of snacks, and meeting up with new or old friends. While getting caught up in all the fun things, you may forget to schedule some time to properly ready yourself for what’s to come.

You should know by now that I’m not the type of person to just “wing-it” and start my first day without my entire schedule being carefully prepared. I like to avoid getting lost, confused or stressed as much as I can (as do most people lol).

If you feel the same, here are 5 steps to get you feeling prepared and confident for a new semester.

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Learn Your Schedule and Routes to Classes

I think it’s safe to say that the most important thing to know when starting school is where the heck you’re going! Depending on your campus size, you need to strategically plan when to leave for classes and the paths you’re going to take to get to them.

If you haven’t yet memorized your class schedule, keep a copy of it on hand or saved to your phone. I usually make it my lock screen for the first week so I can easily look at it when I need to.

If you have a day or two before classes start, take the time to walk the routes of your schedule for each day of the week. Time how long it takes you to get from one class to another and try to find the quickest path between the two.

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Even take the time to go into the buildings and find the specific classrooms you have to be in. There’s nothing worse than wandering around a building and showing up late to your first class because you were lost. (We’ve all been there.)

Show up to class with confidence because you got there stress-free and on time!

Print All of Your Classes Syllabi (and read them!)

What’s just as important as learning your schedule is printing out the syllabi for each of your classes and reading them over carefully. You can of course just view them on your computer, but I prefer hard copies to keep in my backpack.

The syllabus will tell you exactly what supplies you need for the class (including textbooks), what the grading system is like, the professor’s contact information and office hours, and the assignment schedule of the class.

College professors are serious about what they put in it and don’t want any questions from students that can be answered by the syllabus. Read over the assignments carefully to get a sense of what the level of work is like, how often tests/quizzes are, and the major projects.

You’re then going to use the syllabi for the next step…

Get a Planner and Write in All Assignments

I think I mention this in every blog post but… get! a! planner!

Taking the time to sit down and write all of the assignments, projects, and due dates for each of your classes into a planner will be a lifesaver throughout the semester.

Students typically don’t check the syllabus much after the first week, which can lead them to show up to class unprepared. The professor might not remind you of every assignment. If they’re all in the syllabus, you’re expected to read it over and have them done.

So, get yo’self a planner and begin writing!

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I recommend assigning a different color to each of your classes so you can easily distinguish between them in your planner. Work on one syllabus at a time and write down everything due throughout the entire semester. Yes, every assignment for every week. You don’t want to miss any!

Then, highlight all of the assignments for that one class in its designated color and repeat for the rest of your classes.

Now you always know what to expect and can begin working on the assignments way before they’re due. You should no longer experience the fear of realizing you have an essay due the next morning and having to pull an all-nighter to get it done.

Buy Necessary Supplies and Textbooks

If I’m being honest, I typically don’t use any school supplies besides my laptop, planner, and maybe a notebook.

However, if you prefer more than that, I recommend waiting until after you attend the first class of each subject to determine what you’re going to need.

Sometimes the class is solely done on a computer. Some classes take lots of notes, therefore you’ll need a notebook and pen. Make sure you know you’re going to use the supplies before you buy them!

Related: The Best School Supplies for College Students

You also want to get all of the required textbooks and literature for your classes. Again, wait until after the first couple of classes to see if you’re really going to need them.

Sometimes professors will make you buy a textbook just because it’s a limited edition to the school or because they wrote it (aka for the $$$), and you end up never even opening it.

Ask around, go on sites like ratemyprofessor.com, and try to determine if the textbook is necessary or not.

If it is, always rent your textbook if possible. There’s no need to purchase an expensive pile of paper that will never be used again after the semester ends. My favorite places to rent textbooks are Amazon, Chegg, and SlugBooks.

Meet Your Roommates (if you have any)

If you’re staying in a dorm, you most likely are going to be sharing the space with a few roommates. Before classes start, contact your roommates via social media or email and get to know them a bit!

This will ease the awkwardness of moving into a new place with a complete stranger. If you talk beforehand, you can ask them questions like their name, major, likes and dislikes, sleeping schedule, and so on.

It’s also important to communicate with your roommates about what everyone is bringing to the dorm. You don’t want to end up having duplicates of shared objects such as a microwave, coffee maker, cleaning supplies, shower curtain, etc. Dorms are small! If everyone is comfortable with sharing, have each person choose the items they’re able to supply.

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After following these tips, you should be more than ready to take on a new semester. If there are any other things you do to prepare yourself for the school year, comment them down below!

I wish you all the best of luck with your studies and lots of love x

pin me!

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