Sydney Scott is a third-year undergraduate at Southeastern Louisiana University. She shares practical advice, inspiration, and tips for high school and college students using her unique brand of candor and humor.
I am so sorry to interrupt week 4 of your month-long Hulu binge, but the spring semester is just days away! Perhaps your family is driving you to the brink of madness at this point during winter break, and you’re super excited to head back to school. Or maybe the thought of starting up a new semester makes you want to crawl back in your bed and never leave again… I always feel somewhat indifferent about starting a new semester; I don’t love or hate it. I tend to see it as just another necessary step towards graduating. I do, however, always worry about my course load each semester: Are the classes going to be hard? Are my professors going to be cool? Am I going to do worse or better than last semester?
Something great about college is that we get a new start each semester -- new classes, new professors, and new opportunities for improvement. It’s almost like we get a mini-New Year’s Day twice a year! But just like the resolutions that so many people make each year on January 1st, if we don’t create sustainable solutions for what we want to change this semester, we will inevitably fall into old habits. In order to help you avoid the latter, I came up with seven ways to help you tackle the spring semester in order to make it better than the last.
(1) Set realistic expectations for yourself.
As the saying goes, old habits die hard. It takes considerable effort to change habits you’ve created, especially those born out of avoidance of some other task.
For example: Let’s say you hate waking up early. Last semester, you scheduled an Art Survey class for Tuesday/Thursday at 8 a.m.. You went to class a couple of times, realized just how un-exciting art history can be (and how awful it is to wake up early again), so you skipped class… once. Twice. Okay, basically the whole semester, but you aren’t telling mom that. You cram for the final, and end up with a D in a class in which you probably could have made an A or B. And it likely happened this way because you made it easy for yourself to fall into the habit of skipping by scheduling a class at a time that doesn’t work well for you. The most sustainable way out of this is not by over-ambitiously thinking, “I’ll be better next semester and just make sure I go to my 8 a.m. classes.” It's knowing yourself enough to create a schedule that works for you. The best way to avoid that feeling of wanting to skip your 8 a.m. is by having no 8 a.m. class at all! Know thyself, and avoid setting yourself up for failure.
Of course, that’s not to say that you can’t successfully correct a bad habit, but it’s easier to succeed when you create goals while keeping your current desires and preferences in mind. If you’re hoping to make some improvements to your academic life this semester, you have to make sure you start reasonable and start small, which leads me to my next point…
(2) Focus on small, short-term goals.
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is your stats grade. We’ve talked about goal-setting before, but I’d like to circle back on what I consider the Golden Rule of goal-setting: start small! When we think of goals, we tend to think of some amazing, life-altering achievement. The problem is, most of these great accomplishments are the culmination of a series of small setbacks and triumphs working together. Setting big goals without setting smaller ones is like buying a Maserati when you don’t know how to drive: You’ll start out fast (too fast) and end in a crash! Don’t set goals that aren’t realistically achievable for you. If you’re hoping to make a change this semester, let it be a small change. It doesn’t have to be a big accomplishment to be considered a #win.
(3) Don’t throw it all away.
You set a goal, you were doing well with keeping on track towards accomplishing that goal… and then you fall off the wagon. It’s easy to get frustrated and throw in the towel. It’s important to remember, though, that life happens. You’re going to meet good and bad days, and your goals are going to need adjustment. Don’t give up on something you want just because of a rough patch you’re going through.
(4) Don’t drop that class that turns out to be more difficult than expected.
This point is less conceptual and more just a tip to improve your semester overall. In general, dropping classes should be thought of as a last resort. College is the first time you have the option to drop a class, which makes it seem really attractive when you’re not doing well in a course.
The problem with dropping classes is that those hours just disappear, and you will eventually have to make them up. Dropping more than a couple of classes can put you behind in your path the graduation, and even prevent you from getting into some graduate programs that have requirements about the number of classes you dropped as an undergrad. Plus, dropping classes puts you at risk for losing scholarships or other financial aid that require you to meet hour minimums each semester. When the going gets tough, study smarter, figure out a plan for success and save dropping that class as a last resort. You’ll thank yourself in the future, and you’ll feel a nice sense of accomplishment once the semester is over.
(5) Get a job or join an organization.
Want to make new friends or earn some spending money this semester? Good news -- finding a new job or hobby could actually benefit you academically. You may think to yourself, “But won’t that really just take up valuable time?” Not exactly!
Remember in high school when you went to school from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., played sports, participated in French club, and worked an after-school job? How did we do it?! Turns out, the busier you are, the more likely you are to be efficient at studying. Why? Because there’s no time to procrastinate! Having a job or being a part of an organization larger than yourself means that you’ll have limited time to get things done, which helps you put the most important or urgent things first.
Think about it this way: Say you have a test on Friday. You only have one class on Thursday, so you get home, take a nap, spend a few hours mindlessly scrolling TikTok, and next thing you know… oh no. You’ve lost all your studying time! Now imagine that you have work on Thursday evenings. Your class gets out at 2 p.m., and work starts at 5 p.m., which means you have exactly three hours to study. There’s less wiggle room, which means you’re more likely to get the job done when it’s supposed to.
(6) Become comfortable with some sort of calendar.
While we’re on the subject of prioritizing tasks, let’s talk about everyone’s favorite topic: calendars! *Booing ensues* I know that remembering to write things down or keep up with a calendar is hard, but you know what’s even harder? Remembering things that you didn’t write down. If you’re not someone who likes keeping a calendar, it’s okay. You don’t have to color-code everything and have an agenda for each day of the week. It just matters that you have something to organize your weeks with. It can be Google Cal, a planner, a bunch of sticky notes, a torn-out piece of loose-leaf paper… really anything works. But it’s important to keep track of due dates, tests, breaks, and other important things so that you aren’t blindsided by anything. You’ll know what you need to be focused on over the next few weeks.
You wouldn’t want to tell your waiter some long order at a restaurant without them writing it down. What happens is predictable: they forget some of it, recite it wrong to the kitchen, and then serve you a messed up order. Don’t do that to yourself! Adults have calendars, and you should, too. Get one! Write stuff down!
(7) Be around people who will help you
The best way to succeed is to have a good support system behind you. A person is the sum of the five people they are around most, goes the old adage. I’m not sure how scientific it is, but I do think that the people you choose to spend your time with can deeply affect your overall demeanor, especially when it comes to school-related things. Sure, everyone appreciates that friend who is always down to go out, but have you ever asked them how they’re doing in school? Yikes.
Surround yourself with people who are going to encourage you to study, stay in school, and keep pursuing your goals. Having a strong support system can make or break your semester when things get tough, so make sure you have a good one.
To sum it all up: This semester is going to be a great one, and you have control over making it great! Whether you are trying to resurrect your GPA, go to class more, or get more involved -- create a plan that works for you. When things get tough, take a step back and remember that life is filled with ups and downs, and the downs do not have to define your semester. Above all, remember my personal motto when it comes to school: You can do anything for a semester! Let’s do this!
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