Congratulations, you’ve made it to Spring Break! Finally, midterms are behind you. If your midterms were rescheduled for after Spring Break due to snow days, have hope and don’t lose track! With midterms completed, we are now in the 2nd part of the semester and before you know it, Summer Break would be closer than you think. It’s easy to lose focus on whatever goals you have, and put less emphasis on producing quality work. However, this period is extremely important because it can definitely change the scope of the rest of your semester! If you feel you didn’t do as well during the first half, definitely turn those habits around to guarantee success in finishing your first year.
1. Continue to visit office hours. If you have a question that wasn’t answered during class, or if you want to clarify something on an assignment, it’s a good idea to go to office hours to form a relationship with your professor.
2. Use a reward system. Set up little rewards for goals you accomplish. You might have finished a reading a day in advance, so it’s perfectly fine to reward yourself watching your favorite show.
3. Evaluate your major. In the span of a semester and a half, your interests may not align anymore. Talk with your academic advisor periodically about course planning for fall semester 2015 and requirements! It would also be a great idea to make an appointment with UCS to schedule the Myers-Briggs and Strong Interest Inventory, and/or chat with career goals and expertise in your chosen field!
4. Practice time management. Use whatever resources you like to plan your meetings, schedule appointments, and make to-do lists. Some great resources and apps are paper planners, Google Calendar, Google Keep, Any.do, or Wunderlist!
5. Make goals. Short-term or long-term, it’s important to keep track and not lose sight of your priorities. For example, make a goal to talk more in class, or increase your exam grade by 5 points. A good long-term goal to make as a first-year nearing the end of the year is figuring out summer plans (internship, job, volunteering, or classes?).
6. Finally… Relax. All of your tasks may seem daunting and you feel like everything is piling up, make sure you take time for yourself. Take a 20-minute break to relieve stress and to make sure you don’t overwhelm yourself, and don’t feel guilty about it!