New Semester? Five Tips To Up Your Game And Conquer Grad School
Oh, spring semester! A time of new beginnings, a fresh start and, if you’re a Newhouse grad student, a time of figuring out what the future will look like given that you only have about four months left to complete your degree. If you’re like me, this can be a pretty stressful time due to keeping up with all your classes, work and getting everything ready for whatever your next steps will be. The first two weeks since I’ve been back have been fun, but they have also taken a huge toll on me. Because of this, I decided to devise a game plan to ensure I don’t become overwhelmed with all of my responsibilities and end up bald by the time commencement weekend comes around. Here are five tips you should follow to avoid having a stressful semester:
- Pay attention to your health
Let’s face it, being sick sucks. It’s one of the worst things that can happen to you, especially when you have responsibilities to take care of. I should know, I got sick for about two and a half weeks over break and missed a third of the events and speakers from the TRF New York City Winter Benchmark Trip because I still hadn’t recovered by the time of the trip. In order to get better, I ended up having to go on heavy antibiotics, a strict diet and take tons of vitamins. Coming back to Syracuse after that was terrifying; knowing how unpredictable the weather can be with the constant below-freezing temperatures, I needed to make sure I didn’t get sick again so my studies wouldn’t be affected. To avoid another episode, I decided to keep taking multivitamins, drink lots of water and keep an eye out for any early signs of sickness. Especially because there’s a flu spreading around in the city, I would also recommend washing your hands regularly, avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth, as well as covering your mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing. If you can get some form of exercise, throw it into the mix! An hour of yoga or any other workout a couple of times a week will do wonders and your mind and body will thank you later.
2. Stay organized
One of the best things you can do to ensure your semester runs smoothly is to organize yourself the best you can. Try to come up with a weekly schedule that includes your class schedule, your work shifts, academic deadlines, house chores, special events, as well as any side projects you may be working on. You should also make sure to accommodate downtime in your schedule because too much work and not enough rest will prevent your brain from functioning at its best. Try to follow this schedule as best as you can. I know it gets hard sometimes; I’m notoriously bad at writing things down on my planners (digital and paper), but I’m also notoriously great at making and following daily To Do Lists. Whatever works for you, use it to your advantage and you won’t end up drowning in homework anytime soon.
3. Take your nap time seriously
On that note, having a decent amount of rest is key when it comes to working efficiently. A 2016 article from The Huffington Post showcased several college students at different levels on their academic careers and how they take serious measures to ensure getting at least eight hours of sleep. No amount of stress is worth the physical strain of sleep deprivation, and you’ll surely get more done if you’re well rested. Take naps, aim to sleep around eight hours per night. And yes, we know that the occasional all-nighter is unavoidable, especially when deadlines are approaching, but if you time things right, you will be able to get plenty of Z’s, and you can never have too many of those.
4. Communicate and play well with others
When you choose to study communications, you need to know that you will have to work as part of a team. It will be your responsibility to know how to work well with others and to be clear about what your role is, as well as everyone else’s. In the case of Audio Arts, avoid being what professor Patrick MacDougall calls “the grumpy sound guy”, you know, the one who’s upset because the team expects him to work some audio voodoo in a matter of seconds. If you’re TRF, make sure you know what your role in production is and make sure to keep track of what you’re doing, what you need from others and what others will need from you. Always be prepared and bring something useful to the table, in the end you and your crew will be glad you did. Avoid misunderstandings like the plague and make sure everyone is on the same page, this way there will be no bad blood and your peers will surely recommend you for other projects now and in the future. You never know who will introduce you to your next big break, so knowing that your classmates and other crew know you for your great work will give you some peace of mind and get you one step closer to your goals.
5. Keep track of your finances
Last but not least, keep an eye on your bank account. Splurging is nice, but so is being able to afford rent. I would suggest you make a list of all of your expenses for the semester, and compare it to your expected income. How much is your rent? Does it include utilities or is that extra? Do you have to pay your phone bill? Your health insurance? Also think about how often do you need to buy groceries and how much do you usually spend. Do you pay for your Netflix? Your Hulu? Do you have subscriptions to Adobe Creative Cloud? To an audio sample library? Make a list of all of these and then compare it to what you get from your student loans, grants and work study post-tuition expenses and set up a monthly budget where you also leave some room in case you want to have dinner or a night out every once in a while. It sounds scary but early planning can go a long way.
Overall, always remember to have fun and enjoy your time at Syracuse University. We’re halfway there and in a few months it’ll be all over, so be sure to make this time count.
Have a wonderful semester!
