13 ways to make sure you are prepared for every semester
August 24, 2020
This post may contain affiliate links, which is where I will receive a small commission if you buy from the link. At no extra cost to you! For more information please read the full disclosure here.
CONGRATULATIONS!
You are finally free from school, you are now entering your first semester of University/ College. Sometimes, starting something new can be very overwhelming. Yes, there are countless teenage college movies on Netflix giving you a glimpse into life as a young adult, however, they are quite glamorised. That is why I have written a list of everything you should do before going to college. I hope this list will make you feel more prepared!
Read on to find out 13 ways to make sure you are prepared for every semester!
WHAT TO DO BEFORE EVERY SEMESTER:
1. ENROL/RE-ENROL
Very obvious, I know, but you will be very surprised how many people forget they need to do this. Please make sure you have enrolled before carrying on with the rest of the list.
Your university usually sends you instructions on how to enrol, so check your emails to keep updated!
2. FIND & DOWNLOAD YOUR TIMETABLE
After you enrol, this is the next thing you NEED to do. Your teaching timetable release date is usually around a month before the start of the semester.
Finding and downloading your timetable ahead of time would give you a vague idea about how long your days will be.
BARE IN MIND THAT YOUR TIMETABLE MAY BE ADJUSTED BEFORE YOUR SEMESTER STARTS
3. ADD YOUR TIMETABLE TO YOUR GOOGLE CALENDAR
Now that you know you have your weekly University schedule, you can now begin my favourite part of getting ready for each semester!
If you have not used Google Calendar before, I wrote a “Beginners guide to Google Calendar“. Everything from colour coding to adding reminders, you will find all the steps there.
QUICK TIP: COLOUR CODE YOUR CALENDAR MY MODULE
4. PRINT COPIES OF YOUR TIMETABLE
Printing multiple copies of your University timetable is so handy because it is so easy to forget where all your classes are. By having your timetable in different places, can really help drill your timetable into your head.
I suggest printing 2 copies: 1 for your notice board and 1 for the front of your everyday folder.
Don’t forget to colour code the timetable to match the colours you chose for your Google Calendar.
YOU CAN ALSO SET YOUR PHONE WALLPAPER AS YOUR TIMETABLE FOR THE FIRST FEW WEEKS!
5. GET ORGANISATION SYSTEMS IN PLACE
Make sure you have all of your organisation systems in place so that you can go to University stress-free and with a plan.
6. GET A PLANNER
As well as putting all of your organisation systems in place, a planner is crucial to make sure you have a place for all of your daily to-do lists.
All of your habits from university follow you through to adulthood, so it is best to get used to using a planner daily now!
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
7. CHECK TEACHING PLAN + ADD TO CALENDAR
Usually, your professors will release a schedule/plan for the semester. Where you will find all of your test and exam dates. Lecturers just LOVE to remind you last minute that there is a test coming up, which instantly triggers my stress.
By adding all of the important dates into your Google Calendar and setting a reminder for at least 2 weeks in advance, you will feel prepared for any deadlines.
However, the dates my change slightly. At the end of the day, it is better to feel over-prepared.
RELATED POST: 40+ DORM ROOM ESSENTIAL & FREE PACKING LIST
8. ROUGHLY SCHEDULE WEEK
Although you haven’t started the semester, a little more organising won’t hurt…
I love to create a VERY rough skeleton of how I would like my weeks to go, where I allocate some time to work on each module.
QUICK TIP: ALLOCATE AT LEAST THE SAME CONTACT HOURS FOR EACH MODULE FOR REVISION/ EXTRA STUDY
A few things you can add to your weekly schedule:
- Sleep times
- Meal times
- Exercise
- Food shopping
- Working of assignments
9. DO ALL UNI SHOPPING IN ADVANCE
IF YOU GO TO UNI OUT OF THE COUNTRY, WRITE A DETAILED LIST INSTEAD!
10. CREATE A UNI APPS FOLDER
Don’t forget to organise your phone too! When you start university, you will be very surprised by how many apps you accumulate.
SOME APP IDEAS YOU NEED TO DOWNLOAD:
- Your University app
- Laundry app
- Learning Hub
- Public Transport
11. WRITE SOME GOALS/ EXPECTATIONS OF YOURSELF
University feels like a big bubble, it is so easy to lose yourself/ forget why you are there. By writing 2-3 goals BEFORE you leave home, will really help to keep you accountable.
MY GOALS FROM FIRST YEAR:
- Go to ALL of my lectures
- Call home every other day
- Set a morning and evening routine
12. MAKE SURE TRAVEL PLANS ARE SORTED
Some of you may attend university out of the country, if that is the case, make sure everything is booked. The earlier the better!
13. FIND COURSE MATES
Going to university, big or small is so nerve-wracking because you most likely know no one. Thank God for social media, you can usually join your course Facebook group where you can find new people!
OTHER UNIVERSITY RELATED POSTS:
DUBSADO
SHOWIT
CRM PLATFORM
CMS PLATFORM
SAVE 20% OFF
FREE MONTH
CODE BOOK
DESIGNING BESTIE
$50 AUD OFF
STEAL MY TECH STACK
Founder of SÓJÍ—your creative partner and fearless community for women and women of colour. Driven by a love for self-development and a no-fluff approach to chasing your potential, I started SÓJÍ to empower go-getters to stop sitting on the sidelines and start building lives and businesses they’re obsessed with.
Here, you can expect honest advice, real relatability, and a whole lot of encouragement to actually make moves — not just dream about them. Whether you’re here for business tips, self-growth inspo, or a community that gets it — you’re in the right place.
HEY, I'M SIMI
