This fall marks the beginning for a new journey of my life, college. After four years of high school and having found a set routine, it’s now time for that routine to completely change again. So how does one make a healthy transition from life at home to life in the dorms at college? Here are some of my major goals that I plan on following as I head off to college this fall!
Staying Disciplined
With college comes newfound independence, however this independence doesn’t mean that you are free to do whatever, whenever you want. Without holding yourself responsible, it becomes very easy to forget how important structure and routines can be. Just because you can skip class one day, doesn’t mean that you should. Now that you are in charge of yourself, it’s up to you to hold yourself accountable for your actions. Self-motivation and setting up goals for yourself everyday is the best way to ensure that you complete what needs to be done.
Something I do to stay on top of my daily tasks is through the use of a bullet journal and the Todoist app which I use in conjunction with one another to keep track of my weekly tasks. Finding a good planning method that works for you is going to be crucial to keeping up with classes, work, and social events.
beginning for a new journey of my life, college. A
fter four years of high school
and having found a set routine, it
’
s now time for that routine to completely change again. So how
does one make a healthy transition from life at home to life in the do
rms at college? Here are some
of my major goals that I plan on following as I head off to college th
is fall!
Staying Discipline
With college comes newfound independence, however this indepe
ndence doe
sn
’
t mean that you are
free to do whatever whenever you want. Without holding yourself re
sponsible, it becomes very
easy to forget how important structure and routines can be. Just bec
ause you can skip class one day,
doesn
’
t mean that you should. Now that you are in charge of yourself, it
’
s up to you to hold yourself
accountable for your actions. Self-motivation and setting up g
oals for yourself everyday is the best
way to ensure that you complete what needs to be done. Something
I do to say on top of my daily
tasks is through the use of a bullet journal and the Todoist app w
hich I use in conjunction with one
another to keep track of my weekly tasks. Finding a good planning me
thod that works for you is
going to be crucial to keeping up with classes, work, and social e
vents
Exercise
You’re in a new environment and you’re caught up in discovering the different aspects of college, so it’s easy to forget to fit exercise into your daily routine. Exercise is crucial to a healthy lifestyle! Fitting a workout in everyday is difficult with a busy schedule so find an active activity that works for you! Don’t force yourself to do a specific activity that you hate, this will make you dread it and procrastinate it.
For example, I hate running so instead of forcing myself to run, I find an activity I enjoy such as volleyball. Feel free to check out your university gym and see what they have to offer. Try to be active for at least 30 minutes everyday. This can be done with something as simple as a walk around campus or grab a couple friends and go on a hike. Find what works for you so that you can look forward to it!
Eating Right
A healthy diet helps boost immune systems and helps maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle. For many people, college is the first time where you’re really away from home and your parents’ cooking. This means that the ever enticing treats at the cafeteria are always there and there’s no one stopping you from grabbing a snack during the middle of the night. It’s important to maintain a healthy diet even though you are away from home.
Try to eat every 3-4 hours and avoid late night snacking! Keep healthy snacks in your backpack or purse so that you can quickly eat something on the go. Pay attention to your body and your eating habits. At each meal try to have a decent amount of fruits and veggies in addition to everything else you’re eating. It’s easy to say that you’re treating yourself at one meal, but this can quickly turn into treating yourself at every meal. Staying disciplined and maintaining consistent eating habits will make those treats more enjoyable in the long run.
Hydrate
Water replenishes your body and gives you more energy as well as helping maintain concentration and prevents overeating. Try to aim for at least 60 oz of water a day and carry a reusable water bottle with you all the time to further encourage you to drink more water. On that note, try to avoid too much caffeine or sugary drinks. If you’re eating and sleeping properly, you won’t need the energy boost from a sweet drink. To spice up your water, try adding fresh fruit to enhance the flavor.
Happy Mind = Happy Body
Try to maintain a consistent sleep schedule and get around 7-9 hours of sleep a day. However, if you aren’t getting enough sleep at night, take a nap! Naps are your friend as long as you aren’t over-napping. Try to keep naps under an hour to avoid feeling even more drowsy afterward. Overall, avoid all nighters because the lack of sleep will affect your ability to concentrate and overall performance.
Take care of yourself! Take a moment for yourself everyday and pay attention to your needs. Don’t overwhelm yourself by committing to a ton of different things at once. Take time to spend time with friends and enjoy yourself. Give yourself a break to de-stress and relax.
I’m excited for the adventure of college this fall! I plan on following these goals as I head off to school this fall and hopefully all of these goals will let me ease into college. I hope to live a happy and healthy life even away from home.
