Name: 4 Steps to Start a New Semester (The Right Way)
Uploaded: 2020-09-16T19:30:57.000Z
Duration: 10 min 13 s
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Adverbs of degree

Don't you just love it when vacation ends and it's time to get back to school?

But in all seriousness, it's time to get back into the groove and if you need help

setting up your new quarter or new semester for success, then this video is for you.

What's going on guys, Dr. Jubbal, MedSchoolInsiders.com.

At the beginning of a new quarter or new semester, you may feel amped and motivated to do things

But more often than not, we revert back to our old ways.

And once again, we didn't exercise as much as we wanted to, and our grades are still

This tendency of feeling good in the moment and allowing that burst of inspiration to

positively color your future projections is called affective forecasting.

But this time, we're going to use that to our advantage.

First, it is critical you set up the systems that reduce friction throughout the quarter.

The most important one being to lay out all the important information in your calendar

This is the foundation upon which you will build your study schedule and good habits.

I opted for Google Calendar, and would input a few critical pieces of information.

First, my “Class” calendar included my lecture and small group schedule, in addition

to the building name, room number, and professor.

Second, my “Exam” calendar included mid-terms and final exams.

The reason I included this as a separate calendar is two-fold.

First, it could be a different color than the Class calendar, helping my exams to visually pop

Secondly, I could schedule automatic reminders for all events in that specific calendar.

Therefore, for each exam, Google would automatically send me a reminder 1 week in

advance, again 1 day in advance, and then 1 hour in advance.

Lastly, I created a third calendar to include any other class-related events, which I creatively

In this, I input my professor's office hours (again, being careful to include the building

and location), as well as review sessions and other events that were not part of mandatory

Second, Structure Your Days & Your Weeks Now that you have a framework of what your

class schedule is like, it's time to fill in your calendar with how you will spend your time.

The key is to not get too ambitious at this step.

It's better to have a good plan that you can actually adhere to rather than a perfect

If you were to fill a jar with large rocks and sand, you would first put in the rocks and

We're going to do the same thing here with scheduling.

Approach your schedule in the following order: First, make sure your classes and exams are

Do not overlook this step as it will help your grades in the long term!

This is going to be your activity of choice - something that you actually enjoy.

For me, that's been weight training and cycling, but for you it could be running or

swimming or dancing or really anything else.

I aimed for 4 or 5 days per week, but of course figure out what works best for you.

You don't need more than 20 or 30 minutes per meal.

I still sometimes forget to eat meals because I get caught up with work or other things

Are you really going to marathon for 5 hours immediately after coming home from class?

Instead, give yourself a short 30 minute break to unwind, destress, and then plan to do

Now you may be wondering why I am suggesting to schedule study time last.

While study time is critical for your school success, your study schedule needs to work

into your life to be sustainable, rather than you forcing your life to meet your study requirements.

So for example, if you have dinner from 7-7:30, its easy to schedule study time before, then use dinner

as a break, and then study some more after.

In structuring your schedule, there are three additional elements to keep in mind:

First, regularly scheduled events are more likely to stick.

That means if you wake up at the same time, eat breakfast at the same time, and work out

at the same time, you're more likely to be successful than if your workouts are at

Second, use necessary chores or meals as breaks from studying.

I would often come back from class, do a couple hours of studying, and use laundry or groceries

or dinner as a large study break, and then study more when I got back home.

Third, don't be too ambitious, and make sure you schedule in enough time for relaxation

See if you can have either Sunday or Saturday completely free from any studying.

This will require you to be very efficient during the week, and it will also contribute

to a healthy social life and healthy mind, which ultimately is more sustainable in the

Remember, we're going for a marathon here, not a sprint.

Number three, Get Your Materials in Order It's key you get your materials in order

You don't want to be falling behind because you don't have books yet. That's a terrible way to start the quarter

Again, minimize the chances of getting derailed early in the quarter or semester, and you'll

That being said, you shouldn't blindly buy every textbook listed in the syllabus.

To most effectively prepare for your class, I recommend you first speak with at least

2 separate friends who have already taken the course before.

Ask them what the professor's testing style is like, if they teach or test straight from

the textbook, and whether or not the book is necessary.

If your two friends have conflicting opinions, then ask a third.

And when in doubt, err on the side of buying a book versus not.

Even better, ask your friends if you can borrow their books for the quarter.

I did this multiple times and returned the favor as well.

If you're on a tighter budget, consider going to the library when you need to access

I personally did not do this, because if another student is using the textbook when you intend

to, it can completely derail your studying.