Well y’all…it’s been real. The guys are throwing in the towel and our hot girl summer’s are coming to a close. Though the sun is still beaming, we can’t help but begin to cool off and prepare to be successful for the fall semester. The question is how? Plenty of students want to know how we’re supposed to shut the fun off and put on our focus hats but the gag is: we don’t have to! Most of you know as well as I do that the fun doesn’t end at our HBCUs. One might even say it’s just getting started. Nonetheless, it is undoubtedly possible to have a ball and handle your business at the same time this year. If you’re anything like me, you need to read this: There is no need to stress yourself out about things that haven’t happened yet. Alright? We tackle things as they come and we always remain thankful in advance! It is time for successful fall semesters with lit homecomings and good grades. Hallelujah. That being said, I felt the need to share some of my “get right” methods in preparation for the months to come. Some of us are super involved with the expectations of having a full plate and others just want to wake up on time for class. Either way, I hope these can spark some motivation!
First, start setting your alarms now. This is one that is difficult for me because I do not like to wake up but it is helpful. Whether you have early morning classes or not, it’s good to start training your body to wake up earlier and get out of that summer sleep schedule. Even if you push back your alarm an hour earlier every other day and align your sleep time to those times, that works. It eases you into it, you know? You’re productive and you’ve got things to do! (Or at least things you could be doing.) There is always something to do or a way you could better yourself so let’s get up.
Second, develop some goals! Whether that’s making at least three A’s this semester, joining a new organization or going to Yoga every Tuesday, speak them into the atmosphere. Put them in your phone. Pray over them and then when you get to school (or even if you’re already there), write them down and put them somewhere special or post them somewhere you are constantly looking at them. This subconsciously reminds you of your goals every day and can serve as motivation if you start to lose sight of the bigger picture. Keep your eye on the prize. If you struggle with goal setting, I stumbled across these awesome charts on Instagram from @allaroundbusiness and they really inspired me. If they can somehow inspire you or give anyone reading this the tiniest push, my prayers are answered!
Lastly, cut out any toxicities of the summer or negativity and practice things that make you feel good. This might be my favorite tactic as well as the most difficult. Sometimes I have a hard time letting go of ideas, situations, and even people that are no longer healthy so much so that I deprive myself of the chance to start fresh all the time. Making consistent changes can be healthy and I’ll never understand why we shy away from them so often. I also force myself to try new things even when I don’t want to because lately, they’ve been discovered to be things that make me feel the best mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. For example, I used to hate reading. The thought of it disgusted me. I know that’s probably confusing since I’m a writer, a Communications major, and my favorite subject has always been English but that’s just the facts. My comprehension skills sucked and it made me sleepy but I got a little older and gave it another shot. I found people that I loved, writing about topics I was interested in and boom. I own like ten books now and I dream of having an extensive book collection on a white shelf in my future apartment. Wild. My point is that with everything we endure in college, it’s imperative to have something calming that feeds us aside from the chaos. Take the time to make the best decisions for your well being without fear of the future or others. It’s time to get our minds right!
