Battle it out with Bill and Becca

Take initiative, plan ahead, prioritize

As we start a new semester, Becca and I decided to give some advice for keeping ahead of all the schoolwork that is going to make its way onto your desk one way or another. It's a common theme for all of the papers that need to be finished and handed in the next morning without as much as a single revision. One thing we can do to keep this from happening is to take the initiative to get it all done. No one else is going to be on your back making you do it all. When we were kids, we had our parents keep us on track with our school work, but they are not here with us at college. 

Another thing to do is to look ahead in the class and see what is coming up. Our professors hand out syllabi for a reason. If you see that a big project is coming up, you might want to get a head start on it. You could also get some work done on another class so you can focus your complete attention on one project later on. 

One last thing I would recommend is to prioritize. I know a lot of people have other things going on, such as sports, involvement in hall government, jobs, partying, student organizations, and so on. While these things are important, your main focus should be on academics. 

Now that we are all back to school, the moment of truth is here; will you do your homework and stay ahead or fall back into the same routines that had you  turning into the little girl from the exorcism during finals?  Well, if you are not interested in rotating your head in a 360-degree fashion, here are some great tips for getting ahead before you get behind.  

Utilize a planner or a calendar to keep all your events and homework organized.  Did you take a "How to Form a Mariachi Band class?"  Write down all of the concerts and everything that will be required so that you can create a balance between activities, school work, and your social life.  

Another tip for this semester is to cut out the all-nighters and make sure you are getting the proper amount of sleep.  Instead of waiting five hours before that ten page paper is due, try setting up a schedule and make your own deadlines.  If you meet your own expectations, take a night off and celebrate!  Basically, what it comes down to is this: we all have been told these exact same things millions of times by our parents, teachers and random motivational speakers.  We all know hypothetically what we have to do to stay ahead and to succeed in school.  

All of you Racquet readers have what it takes to succeed this semester (and in life in general) because you are already awesome enough to read the school's newspaper.  As Jay and Manny from the Modern Family say, "What's the difference between try and triumph? A little umph?"  Make this semester a triumph!  Your future begins today!  It is all about your attitude!  Enough motivational sayings? Okay, well no matter what life will throw at you this semester, Bill and I have your back and are here to answer any questions that you might have.  Just keep swimming (I know I said enough with the motivational sayings, but it's a clown fish!)