Now that the snow has been plowed and the roads are safe to travel, the spring 2014 semester here at West Chester University can finally get underway. No more impromptu snowball fights or sledding down the Stroud Preserve for a while. Now it’s time for the computer labs and printers to work overtime printing copies of syllabi and class expectations. No more huddling inside the dormitories and apartments; off to classes and the bookstores we go, although not laughing all the way.
As we take our first few steps out of our warm and cozy five week break and into the cold reality that is college course work, I want to encourage our student body to keep in mind how important it is to prepare for the long-haul. The biggest mistake I’ve made in past semesters is to work myself into the ground the first few weeks of school and burn myself out for the rest of the semester.
A much better approach, in terms of organization and studying, is to maintain a balance of work, play, and sleep. Dividends will pay off in the long run in terms of productivity if the semester is treated like a marathon and not a one hundred meter dash. Easing into the semester is a great way to start things off right. Let the stress begin with midterms and finals, not with the apparent overwhelming work that otherwise has a tendency to install itself in the minds of college students.
Furthermore, developing and maintaining a properly working, balanced schedule will help keep sleep levels at an appropriate amount. Sleep is a hot commodity among college students, especially during midterms and finals. Ensuring proper sleep now will not only keep stress levels low during the school year, but will also keep stress levels at a minimum during the most stressful time of the year.
So while the cold weather slowly abates and gives way into the warm vicissitudes of spring, college students everywhere need to prepare themselves for the coming semester. Not by jumping headlong into their work, but by taking a slow gradual approach that will allow work to be done consistently.