young african american woman with glasses looking thoughtfully with a book

When most students think about planning for a successful semester, they immediately think: "that's a lot of work."

While we agree, it's that kind of work that ends up paying off at the end. Bet...

When most students think about planning for a successful semester, they immediately think: “that’s a lot of work.”

While we agree, it’s that kind of work that ends up paying off at the end. Between assignments, breaks, and so many other things, it’s important to consider them all when you’re planning your semester.

In fact, a bit of planning can help make the rest of the semester a success! If you’ve already ended a semester successfully, or you want to ensure you get off to a good start, here’s how.

Here’s how to plan a successful semester:

#1: Put It In Writing:

When you are planning your semester, you need to put it in writing. It doesn’t matter if you use a student-specific planner, agenda, a regular old calendar or a digital calendar or planner. The important thing is to write down your plans.

#2: Annotate All Due Dates And Big Events:

Make sure that you annotate all due dates and big events for the upcoming semester. One extra tip that may help you is to use a different color to signal the due dates. This will allow you to know what’s coming at a glance.

#3: Break Your Work Into Daily Tasks:

One of the main benefits of planning your semester is that you can schedule your own time. If you have to deliver an assignment in one month, you don’t need to start working on it right now.

But you don’t need to leave all the work to be done on the previous day of the due date. When you plan your semester, you can easily dedicate a couple of hours each day, among your daily tasks, to work on this assignment. Just make sure that you have enough time to complete every task without rushing.

#4: Be Flexible:

The truth is that no matter if you create the best plan in the world for the next semester, there will always be distractions and interruptions. You want to reduce stress in college with ease. So, it’s always better to allocate more time than the one you believe you need for each task.

#5: Learn To Say “No”:

Sometimes, we just get carried away. You may like to paint and join a painting class and you also like to dance and you join a dancing class. Before you know it, you won’t have the time to do it all.

So, be sure to prioritize. Before you commit to any other extra activity, make sure that you really have the time and energy that it takes.

#6: Don’t Forget To Say “Yes” Too:

While getting good grades should always be a priority for you, your personal life is also important. So, if you feel like going out for dinner, watch your favorite television show or simply spend time with your friends, don’t feel guilty.

These are the kinds of activities that will allow you to relax and get the extra motivation to keep working hard. We all need a break sometimes.

#7: Keep Monitoring:

Planning your semester is incredibly important. However, you need to ensure that you monitor how you’re actually doing and if your grades are at the level that you were expecting.

By looking at what you have done and the results that you get, you’ll be able to adapt your behavior to improve your efficiency and productivity!

woman wearing red polka dot shirt at cafe on smartphone

April 17, 2019April 17, 2019

3 Ways You Can Use Your Devices To Maximize Productivity

Your digital devices don’t have to be a place for distraction. Take advantage of these productivity tools for students. Did you know that the average person spends ...

Your digital devices don’t have to be a place for distraction. Take advantage of these productivity tools for students.

Did you know that the average person spends four hours a day on their devices?

How much of that time is used being productive? Technology has made our lives easy and interesting but unfortunately, while some people use these technological innovations to maximize productivity, some others just use it to get too comfortable and unproductive. Our phones, laptops, computers, and other devices can either help us to maximize our productivity or make us lazy and unproductive.

As a student, there are tools that you can have on your device to make studying, doing assignments, and projects easier for you. But as helpful as your devices are, they can also be a source of distraction for you especially when you have a lot of gaming apps and social apps installed.

Luckily, there are productivity tools for Mac and productivity tools for Windows for students that can help you get more done, faster.

How To Maximize Productivity With Your Devices

Set Schedules

The first step to being more productive is arranging schedules and setting alarms. Wake up on time, get where you need to be on time, and you’re halfway there, Diva! There are many built-in apps that can help you plan your day, week, and year. Take advantage of your Calendar, Notes, Alarms, and Reminders to keep track of appointments, assignment deadlines, and even to try calendar blocking or other productivity time hacks.

Time Management

There are so many productivity tools for Mac as well as productivity tools for Windows devices designed to help you manage your time. Banking apps make it easier for you to carry out transactions at home and make good use of the time you would have lost going to the bank. Location apps make it easier to locate where you’re going without wasting time asking people around and getting lost. You can even incorporate other time management systems like the 10-3-2-1-0 method into your phone to help you better maintain your schedule.

Performing Difficult Tasks

One major thing that our devices help us with is the performance of difficult tasks. For example, use an app to proofread documents like essays or even emails to your professors so you’re sure to sound professional. Explore apps that help with calculations, language translations, and other things that you might not be able to do on our own. Productivity tools for Mac and productivity tools for Windows can help you manage difficult tasks.

Productivity Tools For Your Devices

Productivity Tools For Students:

As a student, these are some major tools that will help you to be more productive.

Tools for Mac:

Schoolhouse
iRecorder
Knowledge NoteBook
Flashcard Hero
Studyper
Gigi

Tools for Windows:

Word Web
Typing Trainer
My Study Life Chrome
Rosetta Stone Free Trial

Other helpful tools:

Sticky Notes
Office Lens
Microsoft To-Do
Todoist
PDFpen
MindNode
Grammarly

Want to REALLY get productive? Download the Back to School Divas printable planner for FREE and track your to-dos, assignments and meals like a pro.

Sources:

https://www.inc.com/melanie-curtin/are-you-on-your-phone-too-much-average-person-spends-this-many-hours-on-it-every-day.html

group of young people around a laptop smiling and talking about work

March 27, 2019March 26, 2019

How to Apply for Internships in Grad School

Grad school internships should never be an afterthought. This is how you’ll often get your “foot in the door”, after all. Knowing how to go about applying for your ideal internships will help to ensure that you l...

Finding the Right Internship Opportunities

Before applying for an internship, you first need to learn how to find good internship opportunities. There are many streams that can help you achieve this.

Ask Your Teacher or Professor

Your teacher or professor will know about the available opportunities in your field because many times, companies will directly contact colleges about available internship opportunities.

Google Search on Intern-Specific Sites

There are plenty of sites online that are specifically dedicated to announcing internship opportunities in different fields. Sites such as LinkedIn, Wayup and YouTern can help you get started in finding the right type of internship for you.

General Google Search

A general Google search for internships in your field will help you identify what the opportunities are and where they are. Putting in your nearest town or city is also ideal when doing this.

Now that you’re clear on how to find an internship, let’s have a look at the steps it will take to apply for one.

Steps to Apply for an Internship

Identify the Internship

This first point has to do with your specific field. I’d also encourage you to be open-minded here. For instance, if you studied journalism and would like to be a magazine editor one day, if there’s an internship available for the Beauty Section of Elle magazine, there is certainly no problem in applying for one.

Although the “Beauty” section may not be something you’d ideally want to do, it is still helping you to get your “foot in the door”. Applying for this internship will also help you to broaden your mind as to what the other opportunities may be in your field that you may not have considered before.

Prepare Your Resume

If you’ve been in school your whole life or haven’t really had the opportunity to work in your field of study, don’t stress. This is an internship, after all.

All your prospective boss wants to know is what your background and interests are. To make sure that your resume is as professional as it can be, make sure that you do the following:

Include your school courses and extracurricular activities
Mention any volunteer work you’ve done in your past
Of course, if you have prior work experience, include that too
Try to be as concise and as internship-related as possible
Don’t forget to include contactable references

(Want a professional resume review by Lorraine, Founder of BacktoSchoolDivas.com? Book her now! You’ll receive a one-on-one call with Lorraine to review your goals and your experience. Your $25 review fee will be put toward any revisions you order.)

Write your Cover Letter

A resume is concise and briefly points out all the school and work experience you have had. A cover letter, on the other hand, is more personal. It highlights why you are the ideal candidate for this internship.

Try not to replicate the information from your resume here. Instead, highlight what drew you to that specific internship, what skills you have, and how that has prepared you for the internship.

Prepare for the Interview

Once you’ve applied for the internship/s (make sure that you apply to many. You want to cast the net as wide as possible) and get a call for an interview, you’ll need to prepare yourself for that big day.

Prep yourself by getting a professional outfit, practicing generic questions (such as: Tell us about yourself. Why should we choose you? What are your strengths and weaknesses?) and also make sure that you arrive early for the interview to avoid any chances of bad traffic getting in your way.

An internship will help you to take a step in the right direction of your career aspirations. Following these tips will help to ensure that you identify the right internship for you, and you know exactly how the process will unfold.

Keep track of your graduate school internship process and so much more with the official Back to School Divas planner download! You’ll get free templates for weekly planning, goal setting, meal planning, grocery lists, and so much more.

Back to School Tips

February 28, 2019February 27, 2019

Should I Switch Majors?

So, you’re a year or two into your college journey and you’re starting to feel like, maybe, you made the wrong choice about your major. Courses in your major don’t excite...

So, you’re a year or two into your college journey and you’re starting to feel like, maybe, you made the wrong choice about your major.

Courses in your major don’t excite you. Honestly, you’re not even sure you want to pursue a career in the same field you did when you registered.

What do you do?

Should You Switch Majors?

Making the choice to switch majors in college can be tough. You don’t want to lose credits you’ve worked hard for or — even worse — increase the weight of your student debt.

To be sure you’re making the right choice, first ask yourself the following:

What’s making me want to switch my current major?
How can I improve my experience in my current major? Do I need help through tough courses? Is it my professors?
What new major or career path interests me now? Why?

Once you have a deep understanding of what’s causing you to seek change, you can determine if you truly want to continue with the process.

How to Change Majors: First Steps

If you’re considering starting a new graduation track, the first thing you’ll want to do is schedule some time with your College Advisor. Your Advisor’s top priority is helping you succeed, and with their wealth of knowledge and experience, they’re a great option for advice.

In general, students in their first 2 years of college (or first 60 credits) will have a less-risky route to changing majors. That’s because those first credits are made up of your “basic” courses. The courses that set the foundation for your future degree are usually easily applicable to almost any track you choose.

The further into your current track you are, the more challenging it may be to switch without some penalties. That’s why switching majors in your junior year of college can be a risk — but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.

How to Work With Your Advisor to Change Majors

Ready to start the process? Schedule some time with your College Advisor. Come prepared for an in-depth discussion:

Bring your college transcript and current course list
Bring the course list for your desired new major
Write down your questions ahead of time

At the time you schedule your meeting, request a Degree Audit or Prior Learning Assessment (PLA). This will help you and your Advisor get a full-picture view of your credits, certifications, life experience, and extracurriculars. Together, you can determine if your desired switch and your previous experience are a good match.

Remember that when it comes to changing majors, you’re not alone. Up to 50% of college students will switch majors at least once in their college journey (that number is highest in STEM-related fields.)

With help from your Advisor and a lot of self-searching, we’re confident you’ll make a great choice.

Switching majors, choosing majors, and surviving your adult college experience is what we know best! Join the Back to School Divas Facebook Group to share stories, ask questions, and connect with women who share your experiences.

Ready to switch majors? Get organized and on track with our FREE Back to School Divas planner template. Grab the link when you sign up for our email list.

October 20, 2018November 2, 2018

New Mom Tried “The 10-3-2-1-0 Formula” For A Week And This is What Happened

Author and Business Consultant Bedros Keuilian created a system to help you sleep better, wake up earlier, get more done,...

New Mom Tried “The 10-3-2-1-0 Formula” For A Week And This is What Happened

Author and Business Consultant Bedros Keuilian created a system to help you sleep better, wake up earlier, get more done, and feel great doing it. It’s called the 10-3-2-1-0 formula!

We all want to “wake up early and get stuff done!” But with busy schedules, classes, kids, and showering, all you want to do is squeeze every last minute out of your sleep. Hello, snooze button! This method promises better sleep and improved focus.

What Is The 10-3-2-1-0 Formula?

The 10-3-2-1-0 formula breaks down like this:

10 hours before bed – No more caffeine.
3 hours before bed – No more food or alcohol.
2 hours before bed – No more work.
1 hour before bed – No more screen time (turn off all phones, TVs and computers).
0 – The number of times you will hit the snooze button in the morning.

Keuilian uses science to back up his claims. Caffeine takes longer than you might expect to leave your system (about 10 hours.) That residual caffeine lives in your system and can make it hard to unwind. Eating large meals, spicy foods, and drinking alcohol can make it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep all night—even though having a glass of wine in the evening may seem to make it easy. Plus, working, thinking about work, and staring at screens can keep your brain active when it’s time to turn the lights out.

This method is designed to help power down your brain so you can wake up refreshed.

Sounds interesting, right? We wanted to put this formula to the test, so we enlisted a real mom to try it out for 7 days. Would it live up to the hype?

A New Mom’s Experience with 10-3-2-1-0

New Mom Briana Scott is a Wife, Full-Time Employee, Part-Time Online Student, and Mama to 1-year-old baby girl. With so many roles and responsibilities, she was excited to try a simple method designed to help her feel better and get more done!

Briana tried the 10-3-2-1-0 formula for 7 days and reported back on her experience.

What was the first day like?

Rough! It was definitely an adjustment. Usually with the caffeine side of things, I drink a Grande size drink from Starbucks around 7 AM! To go without it, on most days, was difficult and made it hard to stay awake for homework after work. Because I have a couple classes and a full-time job to prepare for every night, I never got to bed at a decent time throughout this experiment.

How was the last day in comparison (easier, harder, did you want to quit?)

It was easier than the first day for sure, but it was something I had to keep remembering to do. So, it was almost like adding to the list of things in my day to be aware of. It was a great experiment, though, and would do it again when I’m off track.

What were some challenges you faced in doing the method each day?

Staying on top of it. There was a day or two that I forgot what I was doing with this. Again, that’s only because I had a few other things going on.

Did you notice any benefits in your work, school, or personal life?

I did! Whoop, whoop! The nights that I made myself follow the sleep part of this routine, I woke up the next day on time, refreshed and alert! I loved this result!

Does this method fit your lifestyle? Would you keep it up?

It does and it doesn’t! It holds me accountable for making sure I get the rest/relaxation I need as a parent, student, wife and full-time employee. If I can stick to something like this, I would be well-balanced all the time.

Will you try the 10-3-2-1-0 formula? Have your discovered a “secret recipe” for better sleep? Let us know in the comments!

happy women gazing away with writing journal in hand

October 12, 2018December 3, 2018

The Surefire Way To Organize Your Life With A Bullet Journal

Between home life, work, and school, how’s a girl supposed to find time to just live? The bullet journal, the organizational notebook thought up by Ryder Carroll, could be your ...

The Surefire Way To Organize Your Life With A Bullet Journal

Between home life, work, and school, how’s a girl supposed to find time to just live? The bullet journal, the organizational notebook thought up by Ryder Carroll, could be your solve. At its heart, this simple method acts like a combination of to-do list, day planner and project planner. It’s easy to get started, and easy to personalize (perfect for creative expression!)

The Surefire Way To Organize Your Life With A Bullet Journal

Bullet Journaling — that is — writing things down in a bulleted list or bullet journal as some call it, places our daily, weekly and monthly “to do” list in a sequential order.

Write down the things on your brain:

An appointment
An essay due date
Kids’ activities
Life goals

And get it off your mind.

Why Create A Bullet Journal?

Using a bullet journal can keep you on track. It’s also a great place to write down important appointments, social events, contacts and other items that require your attention. The act of writing can also make your life calmer and keep you more organized as you go about the day caring for your family, your work, and yourself. It’s the best way to keep rocking every aspect of your life like the organized Diva that you are!

As you fill out your BUJO create a method for keeping track of things. The Lazy Genius Collective suggests that placing things in order, starting with an index with notes on all the pages in your journal, and moving into a daily or monthly plot can be beneficial to keeping you using your BUJO effectively.

The beautiful thing about this style planning is that it’s as unique as you are. No more wasting pages on day planners. Create it exactly the way you like, with only the things you need! In general there is no right way to organize your BUJO.

Get Started With Your Bullet Journal

Getting started is easy! Just buy any lined or dotted notebook and a pen—that’s truly all you need. Bloggers at www.simplepurpose.ca recommend that you buy yourself a good planner or notebook, one that makes you feel like you want to write in[1] it. The great thing about bullet journals is that they are customized to your life – you get to make lists, write, and scribble in your BUJO – and you can make it as minimalist or creative as you like!

Make Your Bullet Journal Work For YOU, Diva!

Once you’ve got the basics, you may choose to step things up a little by getting creative. Create monthly themes, plan layouts for tracking class projects, or make space for a gratitude log. You can do what you like! Planning Mindfully is a blog dedicated to the art and creation of handy, beautiful bullet journal templates. If drawing and “making it fancy” aren’t your interest, explore the official Ryder Carroll edition of Bullet Journal 101!

Get your life organized, gain some clarity of mind, and keep working it!

What’s your favorite way to plan? Tell us in the comments!

And if you want even more tips on staying organized, join our email list for weekly inspiration.

Bullet Journaling — that is — writing things down in a bulleted list or bullet journal as some call it, places our daily, weekly and monthly “to do” list in a sequential order.

Write down the things on your brain:

An appointment
An essay due date
Kids’ activities
Life goals

And get it off your mind.

Why Create A Bullet Journal?

Get Started With Your Bullet Journal

Make Your Bullet Journal Work For YOU, Diva!

Get your life organized, gain some clarity of mind, and keep working it!

What’s your favorite way to plan? Tell us in the comments!

And if you want even more tips on staying organized, join our email list for weekly inspiration.