Butterflies Before New Classes

by · January 6, 2019

Happy New Year Everyone!

What do you have planned for 2019? Photo by Crazy nana on Unsplash

It’s finally 2019 and that means a fresh slate, new adventures and experiences, and of course, new classes!

About a week before school started, I got an email from my professor that the course page for a psychology class was up along with the course outline. In an attempt to get myself mentally prepared for the upcoming semester, I looked for other course outlines.

Tip: If you’re in psychology, there’s a page full of course outlines for past and present psychology courses!

This page is extremely useful when you’re planning which classes to take because you can get a better sense of what the course is about and how you will be graded. Some other programs also have course outlines but are not as easily found.

After reading the syllabi and writing down the dates for midterms and assignments, I felt extremely stressed.

My course outlines for this semester. Two of them were already available by mid December!

I wanted to buy the required textbooks right away and read the first two chapters before class started.

Then it hit me (two days of agony later). Stressing about new courses before they start doesn’t help so I tried to make the most of the last few days of my break.

Here are some ways of getting over the butterflies that manifest before every new semester.

  • Focus your attention elsewhere; whether that be on yourself, hobbies, or friends, try not to think about school until it actually starts.
  • Finish watching that TV series you never had time for while in classes.
  • Go on food adventures with friends.
  • Sleep! But try not to sleep away your problems. Instead, make sure you get enough to feel replenished for the day.
  • Find everything that relaxes you and do them before you get busier (ex. bubble baths, going to the beach, drawing).
  • Establish a realistic routine for when school starts so that you have a visual representation of when you will do certain tasks – this way you will feel more in control.

  • This year’s date for the Yoga Rave. I went last year and really recommend it!

    Lastly, try not to dread going back to school. Finding one thing to look forward to can make the experience more positive (ex. seeing your friends again, making new friends in your classes, attending various school events like the Glow in the Dark Yoga Rave).

That being said, it’s completely normal to be nervous before new classes – sometimes you just have to embrace it. Hope you all have a splendid semester and remember not to jump too early back into school next fall!

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