Dear Spring Semester,

With classes in full swing, I have some things I want to discuss before the homework becomes hours’ worth, the late nights become later due to exams, and the stress creates a mental break down. We all have something that we can improve on when it comes to our academic lives. Some people don’t study enough for exams, others don’t read the books, and some don’t do both. However, not putting enough work into classes isn’t the only thing that needs to be fixed this semester.

First of all, we need to work out more. Whenever people work out, they are automatically happier, healthier and more focused. We all know that staying focused on school for months is hard, but this will help us. Working out is the best way we can spend our free time. Have a friend join you, participate in a workout class, or find a fun person on YouTube to follow along with. Taking care of yourself seems like the first thing to go in college. But this semester, we will not let this happen like it has the last couple years.

Next, we need to spend more time focused on friends and family. Between classes, jobs and resume builders, life can become a lot to handle. When this happens, family and friends can start to feel unimportant, but that is the last thing we want. Yes, our family might not be here with us, but a call is always welcomed I am sure. Call your grandma and see how the retired life is. Call your best friend and ask her how all of her classes are going. Even with us not being there in person, at least they know that we care and are thinking about them. Without these people, we would never be where we are today. Family and friends are the ones that, at the end of the day, will always be there to support you through every bad decision and every good one. Make sure they know you appreciate them.

Finally, we need to do better in our classes. Everyone has that one spot where they can always improve, and for most people it is school. We need to focus more on the material and making sure we are not just memorizing, but actually understanding the content. We need to spend less time on our phone, less time watching Netflix, and overall stop procrastinating. Everyone is guilty of this as we have been known to waste hours of a day when we let ourselves get distracted. So this semester, we will put the phone down, we will hold off on watching 10 episodes of our favorite show in a row, and we will use the self-control that we have but have chosen to forget about. We will decide that our education is more important and prove that it is.

So let’s make this semester one to remember. Let’s go out with friends and have fun, let’s get the grades we know we deserve, and let’s make this a healthier semester all around. Look at this whenever you feel overwhelmed and remember eventually you will be missing your college days, so make the most of them now before it's too late.

Sincerely,

Pre-Spring Semester Students