Does anybody really enjoy coming back to school after a long and fun-filled break? Getting yourself back into the swing of school can be a tough task to tackle. Seasonal depression, general lack of interest, unfamiliarity with classes, disassociation from routines and so much more can affect your drive to do well in school.
Here are a few fool-proof ways to get yourself back on track for the spring semester.
Go. To. Class.
This one may seem like a no-brainer, but skipping class is never a good idea. Sometimes, in the beginning of the semester, it is easy to convince yourself that missing class won’t really affect your grades or your learning process for the semester. This is a toxic yet easy thought for a college student.
The beginning of the semester is the prime time to ground yourself and to get a feel for your professors and your workload. Besides, if you start missing class early in the semester, you’ll use up your excused absences that you may need to utilize at a later date.
Get acquainted with your syllabi
Professors take the time and energy to write up their syllabi and go over it with you for a reason. If you follow your syllabus intently, you will be able to keep yourself on track for homework, class meetings, quizzes and more.
Knowing your syllabus like the back of your hand can prevent you from missing your assignments or having them sneak up on you. You can even take reading your syllabus a step further and lay out your semester with due dates in a calendar or planner to keep yourself even more organized.
Business management major, Chris Hare, says that although he feels unprepared to be back in school mode, he makes sure he reads his syllabi for his classes so that he feels prepared.
Find a routine and stick to it
Repetitive tasks inevitably become second nature when you keep yourself on a routine. If you don’t stay consistent with going to class and getting your work done, you will undoubtedly fall behind which can lead to problems not only with school but with your general mental health.
Graphic design major, Jasmin Nguyen, puts her mental preparation first when it comes to starting a new semester.
“I’m ready to grind out the second semester,” Nguyen said. To help mentally prepare herself, she lays out her responsibilities in her planner.
Prioritizing school work is a must to move forward in your career as a college student. However, making sure you take care of yourself is equally as important. According to a study conducted by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, 30 percent of college students reported that stress has negatively affected their academic performance.
If you keep up to date on your assignments and learn how to balance a routine, you can attempt to avoid the stress that comes with just “winging it” in your classes.
Ask for help when you need it
Cabrini University offers countless resources to help their students be successful in their classes. Most professors are happy to help you and answer your questions outside of class time, but for the times when they are unavailable or unresponsive, there are other means of help readily available for students on campus.
The Math Resource Center and The Writing Center are two of the most utilized academic resources on campus. Here you can get advice and help on assignments from professors and student tutors alike.
The Writing Center is located in the Iadorola building while the Math Resource Center is located in Rooymans Hall. You can sign up for appointments for these services at cabrini.mywconline.com.
Good advice Lauren. Nice job. Sam W.