5 Tips for Staying on Track as the Semester Moves Forward
The following post was contributed by Kelly Kilpatrick, who writes on the subject of obtaining an online college degree. She invites your feedback at kellykilpatrick24 at gmail dot com.
You’ve been in school for several weeks now, and chances are you’ve had at least a couple of quizzes and maybe even a major paper or test in most of your classes. It’s been an adjustment, getting back in the groove of things, but you’ve got it. Time to relax, right? Think again.
This is a notion that gets many a student in trouble right around this time each semester. Keep up the good work, it will pay off! If you haven’t been doing so well here at the beginning of the semester, there’s still time to rectify the situation. Here are five tips to help keep you on track for the rest of the semester.
Plan Ahead
It’s not too late to start planning ahead for future tests or major assignments. If you have been doing this so far, good for you—keep it up! If you haven’t, work on getting your affairs in order so that you won’t be stressed out when it comes down to crunch time, which leads to the next point.
Use Your Time Wisely
Budgeting your time and making good use of your time is essential to success in college. Use time before and/or after class to review information so that it has time to sink in. Plan out each day, considering your class schedule and down time. Many times, we spend far more time thinking about what has to be done rather than just doing it, so make a schedule and stick to it.
Know Your Professor
It is very important that you establish a rapport with your professor or instructor. It’s never too late to stay after class for clarification on the finer details of a lecture or to ask a question about an upcoming paper. It shows that you care and helps your professor to know who you are and remember you later when you just might need it.
Get a Study Buddy
This is another essential thing you need to do. Perhaps you won’t study one-on-one with this person, but it is important to have the name, phone number, and email of at least two people in each class. If you have to miss class for any reason, they can keep you abreast of any changes to the syllabus or upcoming quizzes; they may have notes to share with you as well. If you haven’t done this, introduce yourself to someone at your next class and get the ball rolling. You may be able to help them out and make a new friend in the process.
Have Fun Within Reason
College is about education, but a social life is important too. You need time to unwind and decompress, so have fun—but be responsible. It is one thing to enjoy yourself; it’s a whole different issue if you go out and get wrecked the night before a major exam. Take steps to ensure that your social life doesn’t overcome your academic life and you’ll thank yourself later.
