{"id":4664,"date":"2025-09-04T18:14:26","date_gmt":"2025-09-04T22:14:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/student-life\/?p=4664"},"modified":"2025-09-14T14:34:19","modified_gmt":"2025-09-14T18:34:19","slug":"habits-that-actually-make-my-college-life-easier-from-a-senior-whos-done-the-most","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/student-life\/2025\/09\/habits-that-actually-make-my-college-life-easier-from-a-senior-whos-done-the-most\/","title":{"rendered":"Habits That Actually Make My College Life Easier (From a Senior Who\u2019s Done the Most)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>I\u2019m a senior at Miami and I have juggled classes, orgs, jobs, and a GPA above 3.9, and somehow I have survived to tell the tale. I don\u2019t say that to flex (okay, maybe a teeny bit), but to prove that I <em>know<\/em> what habits actually make college life smoother (at least for me). Whether you\u2019re just stepping onto campus or already halfway through, here are the little things that keep me sane (important!) and thriving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Organization &amp; Time Management<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Put everything on Google Calendar<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>If it\u2019s not on my GCal, it literally doesn\u2019t exist. Between meetings, deadlines, and dinner plans, my brain would crash without it. Also, once you get to college, you will see that almost everyone and everything works with Google Calendar. So, get on it. Bonus: nothing feels more put together than watching those neat little color blocks guide your day.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Prepare the night before<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>Senior me doesn\u2019t do the \u201cwhat do I wear?\u201d panic at 8 a.m. anymore. I lay out my outfit, pack my bag, and charge my laptop before bed. Future me wakes up feeling like she\u2019s already halfway winning.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Organize notebooks smarter, not harder<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>I used to lug five separate notebooks in my cute tote bag\u2026 until my shoulders screamed. Now I use one big notebook with dividers for multiple classes. Same notes, less pain, and my tote bag thanks me. It\u2019s also recommended to organize them by class dates. For example, I have two classes every Tuesday and Thursday, so I use one notebook with a divider in the middle. Repeat for Monday and Wednesday.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Handwritten notes &gt; endless screen time<\/strong>                                                                                Unless I absolutely need my laptop, I keep it shut during class. Phone too. They\u2019re BIG distractions, regardless of what you tell yourself. Writing by hand helps me remember better, and it keeps me present instead of doomscrolling under the desk. Trust me, this pays off in the long run.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Brainstorm your routine before the semester starts<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>Each semester, I sketch out an ideal week\/routine: when I\u2019ll study, when I\u2019ll hit the gym, and when I\u2019ll recharge. Spoiler: life never sticks to the script, but having that skeleton plan makes adjusting so much easier.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Health &amp; Energy<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Learn basic nutrition<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>College dining halls and vending machines are sneaky. One week you\u2019re living on iced coffee and chips; the next you can\u2019t focus in class. Pay attention to what fuels you vs. what makes you crash. Your brain is part of your body, and it needs good fuel.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Stay active<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>With meetings, classes, and late-night study sessions, it\u2019s easy to stay glued to your chair and bed. But movement is magic: a walk across campus, a quick stretch, or gym time clears my head and keeps my energy steady. Plus, Miami has really stepped up its fitness facilities game, so take advantage of everything.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Boundaries &amp; Independence<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Say NO (without guilt)<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>As someone who has been on <em>too many<\/em> committees at once, let me say this: saying no feels uncomfortable at first. I used to feel guilty, like I was letting people down. But guess what? The world kept spinning, the event still happened, and I had time to breathe. Protect your time, and know that saying no is powerful.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Look first before asking<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>Your professors, advisors, and supervisors will appreciate you more if you check the syllabus or website before firing off a question. It\u2019s not about <em>never<\/em> asking, but about showing initiative first. It makes you look capable (which you are).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Mindset &amp; Resources<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Befriend shame\/cringe<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong>I\u2019ve tripped in the dining hall, mispronounced words in class, and walked into the wrong lecture room. Did it feel awkward? Yes. Did anyone care two minutes later? Absolutely not. Laugh it off and keep going. That\u2019s literally how everyone gets through college.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Use the resources you are already paying for<\/strong><strong><br><\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/miamioh_studentlife\/\">Student Life accounts<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/miamioh.edu\/centers-institutes\/rinella-learning-center\/index.html\">tutoring centers<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/miamioh.edu\/centers-institutes\/career-center\/index.html\">career offices<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/miamioh.edu\/life-at-miami\/health-well-being\/student-counseling-service\/index.html\">mental health services<\/a> are all free and they\u2019re all for you. Even as a senior, I still use them. Don\u2019t wait until you\u2019re drowning; these resources are meant to catch you before you sink.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>College isn\u2019t about perfection, but systems. These habits carried me through 3.9+ GPAs, back-to-back meetings, and way too many commitments. Build habits that protect your time, energy, and sanity, and you\u2019ll find your rhythm too. You\u2019ve got this!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Chi Truong | Class of 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I\u2019m a senior at Miami and I have juggled classes, orgs, jobs, and a GPA above 3.9, and somehow I have survived to tell the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8067,"featured_media":4665,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_s2mail":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-student-success"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/student-life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4664","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/student-life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/student-life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/student-life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8067"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/student-life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4664"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/student-life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4664\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4666,"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/student-life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4664\/revisions\/4666"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/student-life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/student-life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4664"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/student-life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4664"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.miamioh.edu\/student-life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4664"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}