Starting the Semester off Strong As the holiday comes to a close, most students find themselves a little loathe to get ready for school again. But it must be done! Starting off the semester strong will lead to a productive and successful semester. Don’t stumble through your first few weeks of school! Start the semester off strong by following these few pieces of advice!
Get Excited First, you’re going to need the right attitude. Try not to think of the upcoming semester as another four months of misery. Hopefully you are at least a little excited about the classes that you will be taking. If not, try to find a reason to be excited. Think of a useful application for the subject or a point of interest that you can incorporate into the course. Once you are excited for school to start and ready to learn and progress, the rest will become so much easier!
Get Your Schedule A huge de-stresser will be organization. On the first day of class (or whenever you get your syllabi), sit down and write down all your known due dates in one place. This will help you visualize when you will be busy, when you have big projects due, and when you’ll need to start working on certain projects or assignments. Having everything in one place will help you remember important dates, tests, projects, and so on. It will also help you prepare in advance for particularly busy days or weeks.
Get Organized It’s best to keep all your schoolwork in one place. Keep papers, notes, and assignments for each class all together and separate from the other classes. You may want to get separate folders or binders for each, or at least dividers for each class. On each set of notes or each assignment, consider putting dates, titles, and other markers that will help you find and identify important information.
Get Working Perhaps one of the most disastrous start-of-semester mistakes is procrastinating the first few assignments. Start working from day one, even if the first due date isn’t for another week. Not only will you not have to rush your first assignments or let your work pile up, but you’ll get in the habit of getting
assignments done on time or early. This will be a huge help to you mid-semester when things start getting really busy.
Get Help Talking to your teacher or teaching assistant will help you start the semester off right. Each professor is different and has a unique style of teaching, grading, and testing. Get to know them as soon as possible so you can accommodate their individual styles and expectations. Visit their office at the Ogden College Campus or chat with them after class. Not only will this help you know how to approach their class, but it will show them that you are an interested and dedicated student. There’s no reason this semester should be a flop. You can prepare now and start of f for a strong beginning that will lead to a strong ending. Ready, go!
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