Stay Productive Over the Summer and Start the Semester Ahead!
Although it's with a heavy heart that I write this, August is officially here, and the start of term is right around the corner. If you've spent your summer sleeping in and lazing around the house (which is 100% what summers are meant for don't worry) - the summer isn't over yet and you still have time to prepare for the semester ahead! In this post, I'll outline some key ways to get yourself back into the productivity routine so that you can start the semester ahead of the curve.
100 Days of Productivity - A rapidly growing movement on many social media platforms (esp. Instagram) is #100DaysofProductivity. The idea is to be productive every single day for 100 days, and if you stick to your routine, you'll establish a pattern of being productive every day in the future. I'm trying it out myself and posting my progress on my Instagram @theseasidestudies. So far it's been going really well and has helped me stay productive so I encourage you to try it out as well!
Start reviewing lecture notes - One way to get ahead of the curve is to start reviewing & writing your lecture notes for the coming semester. It'll give you a good sense of the main topics and help you identify topics you might struggle with early on so that you can study those areas more. Luckily, my Computer Science notes are available online - but if your lecture slides aren't released pre-term you can also check the class description to see if there are any books or textbooks you'll need and start reading them!
Buy new notebooks and pens - I find that I'm much more motivated to take and review notes when they look nice so I bought some new notebooks and pens for the upcoming semester (Muji Haul) so that I'm prepared with new school supplies!
Review previous topics - If there were some topics that you didn't quite understand - go back and review them while you have the time so you won't be confused by them again this semester! Especially if your course builds on previous coursework (e.g. Java classes that get more complicated as you go on) - this is vital to being able to keep up and excel in the class. I recommend HackerRank for really good practice problems and general topics review!
Plan your semester - If you don't have a planner yet - I would definitely recommend investing in one! One thing I like to do before the semester starts is fill in any important dates - from project to exam dates. It's a good way to start the semester prepared so that you aren't surprised and miss an important event!
