From Summer to School

By Molly Carroll

Whether it’s completing an internship, spending time with family and friends at home, or laying on the beach for weeks on end, summer vacation is the perfect change of pace after a long school year. You can relax as much as you’d like and do whatever your heart desires. Reuniting with friends from home, seeing your family for more than just a quick weekend, and living in a space larger than a single room provides the mental reset all students need.

But we all know when August hits and professors begin eagerly emailing syllabi, a smidge of excitement washes over all of us when we see that message in your inbox. It’s the start of late-night CampCo orders, reunions with friends, and the re-establishment of your life at Villanova. But the transition back into the school year is an adjustment, and sylly week scaries can hit hard once you have the first week of classes under your belt.

Here are a few tips to make the switch back to school a smooth one:

1.Look ahead

By now, you’re officially settled in at school. You planned tirelessly, packed and unpacked your life, checked every box on your ‘essentials’ list, but did you get a chance to look ahead to the first few weeks of actual school? After the first week of classes, you get a feel for what your typical weekly schedule looks like. Sit down and map out your week to help your transition back into an academic lifestyle. Find the ideal times to wake up for class, when you will be able to fit in meals and pencil in any extracurricular responsibilities you have. Making this a weekly habit can help you stay organized and adjust to your new hectic schedule. If you take the time every weekend to write it all down, you’ll be able to organize yourself and avoid those dreaded overwhelmed feelings.

2. Don’t ignore yourself

The things you prioritized in the summer tend to get thrown out the window once classes start up again. You may find yourself pushing off going to the gym or sacrificing a couple of hours of sleep to study and stay on top of your school schedule. But one thing’s for sure: you cannot expect to perform well in any aspect of your life if you do not take care of yourself. Set aside time for yourself to do things you enjoy. It will help keep your stress at bay and your mind at peace. View exercise, sleep, and time to yourself as necessities in your daily routine, not chores. Establishing these healthy habits early in the school year will increase your likelihood of keeping up with them down the road.

3. Make a plan for your classes

Exams, projects, and papers are the last thing on your mind when on summer vacation (unless you took Summer classes, in which case, hats off to you). Your syllabi may seem overwhelming, but take time to map out major dates for each class in your calendar. Wouldn’t you hate to realize on a Sunday that you have 3 different quizzes on the same day that week? This will make you aware of which weeks are going to require the most attention so that you can plan ahead to get everything done. 

4. Reach out

Each semester, it seems that class course loads get more and more intense. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of your course resources early on. By meeting with your professors, looking into potential tutors, and working with more peers in your classes from the get-go, you can set yourself up with an excellent support system. Familiarize yourself with these resources at the beginning of the semester so you won’t be scrambling to get help the week before an exam.

Above all, enjoy the start of the new school year and soak up every moment you get to spend here at Villanova. Summer vacation is great, but nothing compares to the feeling of being back at school.