The Rain Semester Survival Guide
Written by Eri-ifeoluwa
It’s a brand new semester, and while some of us are still recovering from the last one, here we are again, lectures are back, assignments and impromptu tests are coming in, and school is already in full swing.
If you’re like me, maybe the last semester drained you so much that you didn’t even get to breathe properly before this one started. Well, someone once said, “If you’ve been through fire, you’re better prepared for the next heat.” Okay, Maybe nobody said that, but honestly? That’s how this feels.
Last semester was really tough for me. A few hours before my Philosophy exam, I had an asthma attack, it was really scary and left me weak and tired. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, my phone decided it had had enough of this world and needed a break. It got spoilt. And you know how important phones are, especially when all your notes, past questions, and study materials are inside it. I felt so helpless and reading for exams became a real struggle.
But somehow, I made it through. And now that we’re here in the second semester, I thought to share a few tips that helped me, and maybe they can help you too.
1. Set goals for the new semester: Not every goal you set has to be big and serious. Think about how last semester went. What did you enjoy? What made you feel stressed? What could you have done better? Set goals based on those. No pressure. Just try to be a better you.
2. Learn how to plan properly: Assignment deadlines and test dates come faster than you expect. So plan how you'd read ahead, whether you like jotting things in a diary, setting reminders on your phone for reading, or using sticky notes to read, find a way to stay organized and on track and be prepared for exams and tests early. Future you will thank you.
3. Ask for help when you need it: If you’re confused as regards your courses or tired or falling behind, talk to someone. Ask your friends for help, seniors, or even that coursemate that always answers questions in class. You’ll be surprised how much easier school feels when you don’t do it all alone.
4. Also, take good care of yourself. Drink water, sleep well, laugh more. Eat good food. Please, don’t joke with your health, especially now that we’ve entered rainy season.
Speaking of Rainy Season…
Because this season is usually colder and comes with more sickness, here are a few extra things you can do to keep yourself in good shape:
- Carry a sweater or hoodie when you can. You never know when you’ll need it, let's not forget if you can, have a umbrella with you most times.
- Try to eat well too, that includes more fruits and veggies. They help your body fight sickness better.
- Don't skip sleep. Seriously. Don’t pull all-nighters every day. Your body needs enough sleep.
- Drink water. A lot of it. Don’t wait till you’re super thirsty.
One Last Thing…
This semester is a second chance to do better than you did last semester. You’re not the same person from last semester, you’ve learnt certain things and you've grown, even if you don’t feel like it yet.
So take what you’ve learned and do better this semester.
The semester may not be easy, but guess what? You’ve got this!✨
