This is the fourth video on this year’s back to school series so be sure to check
the other three ****when you finish this one.
1. The first thing you should do is **Regain your habits.** Restructuring your day again
and getting your workflow going will do wonders for you right now. Trying to regain your habits
while you're getting accustomed to new schedules and routines is overwhelming, so making sure
that your time management foundations are set will make it easier to incorporate new
things into your routine once the new semester kicks in. Think about consolidating your **fitness
routine,** solid **sleeping habits, a cleaning routine** and a **good, meal prep plan** before
you start the new semester. 2. Secondly you should **set your Knowledge
Base**. A knowledge base, like we discussed last week, is a repository of information
where you store and index notes, projects and other data. While you can create an knowledge
base in an analog format, it's definitely recommended that you use an app to do this.
Using an app for a knowledge base allows you to access your information anywhere, type
faster and reorganize things with a click, share data easily and reduce your environmental
footprint.
There are some apps that have the required features to set a knowledge base. My favorite
is, of course, Notion, but you can also try out Evernote, which is a classic, the new
Roam Research app, Coda, OneNote or Slite
3. Next you should be thinking about putting together a t**ime management plan.** A time
management plan should tap into your **1) daily routine, 2) your monthly or yearly events
and 3) a weekly schedule.** Although there's some info you can't anticipate yet, like a
fully detailed schedule or some assignments due dates, you can definitely start by drafting
your system by filling your calendar with known appointments, events, breaks and holidays
and start envisioning a balanced weekly and daily routine, that is packed with productive
focused time slots but also with enough time to cater to your own personal needs.
4. And speaking of routines, this is the time to start **practicing your morning and bedtime
routines** especially if you're someone who has a natural tendency to prefer routines
that are not tailored to your future schedule in college. Start by setting alarms that gradually
guide you to optimal bedtime and waking up hours and start developing new, simple habits
that can put you in the right mood to start and end your day on a positive note. You can
consider delving into a new personal project (more about that on the last point) that will
make you feel motivated to wake up in the morning; you can also brainstorm small habits
that you would enjoy transporting over to your evening routine that will help you wind
down and slowly get you into the mood to close the day and prepare for the following morning.
5. I love to **set up the ideal playlist** whenever I'm transitioning between different
phases or routines. This one is pretty self-explanatory - just build a playlist that manifests the
type of mood and rythm you want to mimic during the semester.
6. This is also a good time to **declutter and minimize supplies, apps and tech.** Without
going into too much detail about how you should do this (because there are people way more
qualified than me to talk about minimalism and decluttering), look through your supplies
and ask yourself "1 - Do I need this now?" "2 - Is there a good chance I will need this
this semester' and "3- Do I like this enough to keep it, despite not needing it". Whenever
you feel like you would like to declutter something, consider donating it to someone
who needs it before throwing it in the trash. Taking into account what's left, focus on
maximizing the use of each tool instead of collecting multiples. For instance, instead
of taking an iPad, computer and paper supplies to class because you think they're all necessary,
consider the possibility of turning one of these into an all-in-one power machine that
will serve as the main tool for most of your work. Same thing with stationery - you don't
need 10 colored pens, multiple writing tools, paper of different types and multiple binders.
Most of these tools are distractions and will not help you. Simplify your stuff so you make
space and time for more relevant things. 7. **Create a study space to reduce distractions.**
If you lack the space, your study area doesn't have to be somewhere static, in a dedicated
office or corner in your room. In my case, my desk is my dining room table so I have
to set up everything anytime I have to do some work. Drastically minimising the amount
of gadgets and supplies I use worked great with this. Some other things I make sure to
set up properly are x**) outlets and cables, x) the lighting and x) music.** I also set
up the table so I am facing a window with low or almost no movement outside, away from
the tv screen. 8. **Cut back on overstimulation** and live
**a slower life.** You don't need to be running all the time to be productive. You can accomplish
so much by purging your routine of non-important things, finding meaning and mindfulness in
your day-to-day life and do things with intention. Cut back on unnecessary overstimulation that
causes you stress and enjoy the process. Although this doesn't seem like a good way to prepare
for college, believe me that cultivating this kind of mindset before you jump into the madness
will do wonders for you. 9. You can also use this time to **start drafting
your outlines and create a master list of textbooks** you'll need for the semester.
It's never too soon to start preparing and getting into the studying mindset, even if
you take only 30 minutes per day doing this. Take a look at your class syllabus, if you
have one, or start looking at the class description and search for those topics on the web and
see what you find out. 10. Finally, s**tart a new hobby or learn
a new skill.** This may sound counterproductive but if you think, it's actually a great idea
to learn something new during this prep phase before you are actually forced to learn whatever
you'll be learning in college. Take this time to subscribe to a place where you can take
online classes on something fun that you enjoy like Skillshare or Coursera, or a language
learning website, like iTalki, Babbel and Duolingo, and get yourself out there and make
the most out of this valuable time. This will also help you enter into a productive mindset
and start establishing good habits that you can then carry on into your next semester.
Also, feel free to take this prep time to sit back and enjoying binge watching some
series before your schedule is packed with classes, and why not trying something new
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