There’s about a month left of summer break for most college students. Bummer, right? First of all, take advantage of what’s left (shopping sprees, sleeping in and some summer romance). However, keep some things in mind that you may need to consider actually using throughout this upcoming semester.
Planner
You have an agenda of your classes for the semester, as well as a schedule for when you’re working. There are also the weekly meetings for mock trial. Oh, don’t forget that coffee date with the cute guy from psych class. Crap, did you schedule that during that bio review session…? We all have that fallout sometime mid-semester when we get lazy with organizing. There are various types of planners offered for college students that suit their preferences and needs. Apps geared towards planning for college students are offered as well as the old-school planners. I recommend investing in a planner that leaves space to pencil-in assignments, meetings, classes and test dates. A planner suited for your needs is critical if you want to improve study skills and your time management.
SelfControl App (for Mac computers)
Speaking of time management, this app is a must-have for those who subconsciously wander off to Facebook and Twitter while “studying” or writing a research paper. How it works is quite simple: just type the URLs of sites that you want on the “blacklist,” set a time limit of how long it will last (from 15 minutes to a whole day), and click the “start” button. Be careful. No matter what, you will be blocked from those sites for that entire period of time. Trust me, I tried everything.
Condoms
#Thatawkwardmomentwhen you have to run down to the bathroom to buy 50-cent condoms in those dispensers. ‘Nuff said. Now you don’t have to worry about those cheap glow-in-the-dark or “tasty” rubbers that are only offered in the machines.
Sneakers
No, sneakers aren’t just for running to class that you’re late for. It’s important to remember to take care of your body and stick with the workout routine. A combination of stressful nights, food binging and lack of exercise won’t help your grades. Research shows that college students who exercise at least three days a week are more likely to report better physical health, time management and happiness than those who don’t exercise. Try to work 30 minutes of moderate exercise into your daily schedule, or sign up for a fitness class.
Stapler (…but seriously)
You have no idea how many times I ran around the library like a headless chicken looking for a stapler. Of course, I only had a half an hour until my paper would be due. I invested in a red stapler (inspired from Milton in Office Space), but a mini-stapler is also a must for printing outside the dorm.
