Whether you're clicking through your laptop or walking across campus, the way you move through your day matters. Most people default to the fastest route, but the most meaningful path isn’t always the shortest.
The pattern of steps you take to move through a process, task, or even your day includes the physical routes you follow across campus, the digital tools you open first on your laptop, and the habits you build around focus, rest, and staying organized.
Coach Tip
Research useful campus office locations and online resources and then try writing down 5 steps you will take to keep you on route. By making this a practice you will start to see how you can improve the flow of your day and build habits that support your academic journey.
Here are some examples of how you could design your day:
| Step | Example |
|---|---|
|
1 |
Begin your day with a warm drink while reviewing your planner. |
|
2 |
Stop by the Advising Office on the way to class to ask a quick question. |
|
3 |
Attend Class! |
|
4 |
10 minutes in a quiet spot to reset! |
|
5 |
End with the Tutoring Center drop-in to review an assignment. |
| Step | Example |
|---|---|
| 1 |
Start with a digital planner or weekly to-do list |
| 2 |
Check class announcements and your LMS (e.g., Canvas or Blackboard). |
| 3 |
45 minutes focused on writing with browser tabs minimized. |
| 4 |
2-minute breathing exercise or walk around the room. |
| 5 |
Close unused tabs, reflect in journal, then prep for next class. |
Small Stops, Big Gains
This isn’t just about getting things done. It’s also about making space to reset.
Take a moment now with this short video. It’s a brief reflection prompt asking a simple question: “What keeps you rooted?”
A Note from Coach Taylor
Coach Taylor brings more than a decade of experience working with adult learners to navigate their return to school.
"I’ve worked with a lot of learners who feel like they have to go full speed all day just to keep up. But the students who build in small pauses, and who take time to design how they move through both digital and physical space, tend to stay more grounded. You don’t have to do it all at once. Just start by noticing your routes.
Where do you rush? Where do you breathe? Let that awareness guide you."
-Coach Taylor