Three years ago, I stepped foot onto Wellesley College’s campus as a first-year student. I was scared out of my mind, incredibly homesick and unbelievably grateful that I was at the school of my dreams. The journey hasn’t been easy—in fact, it has been the hardest and most trying three years of my life. However, despite all of this, I am so happy that I have had the opportunity to attend Wellesley AND even more happy that I am officially a senior! I’ve learned a lot over these three years about how to navigate college and I have learned even more about what mistakes not to make. I hope this guide on how I am preparing for my senior year of college helps you. I’m no fortune teller but I am pretty sure that this year is going to be the best one yet.
Going in with a Plan
This year, I am going in with a plan. I’ve always set up my calendars and planners before the school year starts but I’ve never felt like I had an organizational program/plan that fully encompassed my needs. I’ve searched long and wide for a college-specific planner that I can use to manage all of my school work, deadlines, group projects and exams and nothing really fit the bill. That is why I was so excited when my good friend Sara from College Compass told me about the planner she was developing.
As a heads up, Sara did give me this planner for free to talk about in this post. That being said, it is a product that I fully and 100% stand behind and am excited to share with you! I seriously wish I had this planner these last three years because I know that it could have made a positive impact on my school life!
My favorite feature of the planner is that when you purchase it, you get access to three different layouts. This will give me the flexibility to have detailed hour-by-hour scheduling options for super busy weeks. I have always found it frustrating that planners aren’t flexible in this sense so when Sara told me she was offering ALL THREE layouts when you purchased the planner, I was blown away—such a great deal! Plus, College Compass provides a quiz that will help you figure out what layout is best for you and your lifestyle.
I also love that this planner is downloadable and printable (meaning you aren’t going to receive a hard-bound item that may or may not fall apart in a few months!). It is easy to move around the pages and really make it fit your wants and needs. When you purchase the planner, there are detailed guidelines on how to print it as well!
I also love the fun “add-ons” that you can get to accompany your planner. The Productivity Tracker and Course Assignment List are going to be key in helping me organize my schedule this semester.
I think it is also worth mentioning that this planner is incredibly college-student-budget friendly. For only $22 you have access to an incredible, well-thought-out planner. I am SO excited to use mine this semester and I highly recommend you consider using one as well!
Taking Courses I’m Interested In
Have you ever taken a course because you think it will look good on your resume even though it sounds super boring? BECAUSE I HAVE. I don’t regret the courses I have taken but I do wish that I allowed myself more room to explore. This year, I am only taking courses I am interested in (which is also the beauty of being a senior and having a lot of my required classes done!). I can’t wait to dive into Art History, get my feet wet with interface design and learn more about photography.
Creating Goals (that aren’t academic related!)
I have made so much fitness progress this summer and I don’t want to lose it during the school year. That is why I am going to make sure that I set goals that aren’t academic related (I will be creating those too, just separately 🙂 ). I am also going to schedule “check-ins” to make sure I am actual working towards them. A few of the goals I am working towards this semester:
- Work out three times per week
- Read two books for fun
- Discover a new coffee shop in Boston
- Get off campus to study once per week
Remembering To Soak It All In
This is my last year of living down the hall from my best friends, walking around the beauty that is Wellesley in the fall, taking classes with incredibly smart professors, going to on-campus lectures and running around Boston late at night with my girlfriends. I want to make sure that I remember to soak it all in and enjoy every second.
1 comment
Thank you so much for sharing about the Student Planner, Shannon! I’m so glad you’re as excited as I am and I hope this year is awesome for you!
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