People say that in the quarter systems, you are already behind on the first day. For many freshmen and transfer students, fall quarter tends to be one of the most challenging academically. Fortunately, the start of winter quarter coincides with the time in which many people partake in new year’s resolutions.
ProductiveMuslim.com has many tips and resources for college students to have a more productive college experience. Here are some ways to get started:
Self Evaluate
First and foremost, do a full sell-evaluation. In what areas are you lacking? Academics? Extracurricular activities? Spirituality?
Set Goals
My first two quarters at UCLA were the worse academically that not only destroyed my GPA but also bruised my self-confidence. I then decided to identify specific goals to work towards, such as a specific GPA to graduate with. Using the GPA calculator tool available on MyUCLA, I determined what grades I needed to work towards for each class every quarter in order to reach my goal.
Similarly, set tangible goals for each area you want to improve on for this quarter.
Go to sleep early and wake up early
Studies have shown that sleep is very important in improving our memory and thus, helping us study for our classes. Islam also tells us of the immense barakah (blessings) there is in the morning hours after fajr. Try to sleep earlier so that you can wake up for fajr and continue to study after with a clear and well-rested mind.
To read more tips, check out the Productive Muslim article here.
Flashback: Found this article helpful? Check out this Al-Talib article for specific ways on how to organize your life: “A Recipe for Balance: Academics and Extracurriculars”