Congratulations on crossing lines and starting your first semester as a new soror! This new adventure will be fulfilling, enriching, and time-consuming. Life as a college student is already demanding enough, but adding sorority responsibilities to your plate can often feel like a lot. Here are some tips to help you accomplish and learn all you need to in class while still fulfilling all your obligations to your sisters.
1. Schedule schedule schedule.
Whether you’re an old-school planner girl or a wiz on your digital calendaring apps, find a way to keep meticulous track of your commitments and be consistent with it. Make sure you track all of your classes, assignments, tests, sorority meetings, and mandatory events.
2. Plan a month at a time.
At the beginning of each new month, take inventory of your calendar and see what you need to get done and when. You may realize that even though a project isn’t due until the end of the month, the best time to get it done is the free weekend you have at the beginning of the month. This will help you avoid cramming for a test or writing a paper the day it is due.
3. Plan out your day.
The night before, plan out what you need to accomplish the next day. This might include details as small as deciding what you’ll eat and wear. Need to head out early? Make yourself a bowl of overnight oats or set out an energy bar. You can also eliminate a lot of guesswork if you lay out your clothes for the next day. It may seem like a small detail, but you can save yourself from the chaos of not knowing what to wear during the morning crunch time. Lay out that stylish Delta Sigma Theta para and save yourself from the mess and stress of cycling through several outfits when you really need to be running out the door. When you tackle the day with a plan, you’ll be amazed at how much you can fit in.
4. Prioritize.
You will find times when you’ll have to choose between scheduling conflicts. You may have to make some hard choices, such as declining to meet up with your sisters for lunch to study for a test. You can get creative and combine the two; see if your sister could quiz you when you’re together. You may even have to prioritize studying for one class over another. Practice being able to recognize what is most important at that moment. You don’t want to finish the semester with subpar grades because you did not prioritize appropriately.
5. Communicate.
Communication is key. You will need to be transparent with a couple of different people during this time:
- Your academic advisor. If you have too much on your plate, let her or him know. She or he is there to help you navigate your collegiate experience. She or he may be able to help you restructure your schedule, find a different class, or even recommend a lighter workload by spreading out your courses and taking an extra semester to graduate. An advisor can also be a much-needed listening ear if you need to vent about the struggles of balancing everything.
- Your sisters. Let your sisters know when you have a lot on your plate. Communication is the difference between a soror being known as a flake and unreliable or as a sister who is doing her best to do her part as she manages many different obligations. If you don’t communicate with your sisters when you are unable to attend an event or meeting, you may face repercussions.
6. Know your limits.
You can’t do it all. No one can. Know when you have reached your limits and be able to set boundaries around your time and your health. Don’t take on too much at one time.
7. Take care of your body.
If you are not healthy, you won’t be able to attend anything on your schedule. You will miss deadlines, meetings, classes, and tests. Keeping yourself healthy can seem like it takes a lot of time away from other important things, but remember that you won’t be able to accomplish anything if you are too sick. Here are some tips that are easy to forget when you’re living college life.
- Get enough sleep. College seems synonymous with late nights, but remember that your body needs rest. Staying up late to finish writing a paper might be okay occasionally, but do your best to prioritize getting a full night of sleep. You will show up as your best self if you’re well-rested.
- Exercise. It might seem counterintuitive to add something else to your schedule when you’re trying to fit enough in already, but exercising will help you stay healthy and keep your energy levels up. It is a great way to clear your mind and stay mentally healthy as well. See if your sorority sisters are interested in working out with you.
- Eat healthy. Fueling your body with healthy food helps your body to run more efficiently. It can be hard if you’re navigating living on your own for the first time, but making a conscious effort to eat well-rounded meals will have a big impact on your overall health.
- Don’t forget your mental health. You need a healthy body and a healthy mind. Prioritize taking care of your mental health, whether that be fitting therapy into your schedule or doing some daily meditations.
8. Don’t procrastinate.
Chipping away a little at a time at your assignments, projects, and studying can help college life feel less overwhelming. Waiting until the last minute to do everything all at once is stressful and may not produce your best work. Get things done before their deadline so you can enjoy free time. Otherwise, you may find yourself spending your free time worrying about the work that’s hanging over you.
9. Breathe.
So much of life is out of your control. Wasting your energy on worrying or stressing about things out of your control does not serve you. Work on the things you can control and let go of anything you can’t.
It takes work, but you can have a fulfilling sorority life without compromising your academic success.