I will be the first to admit it, I did not do so hot this last semester of my freshman year.
From finally being able to go out more to being busy with other projects to my mind constantly being elsewhere—it was a combination of many things. School has always been important to me. Ever since I was young, I've been taught that 90s should always be 100's, and A's are the only things that are acceptable. I grew up as a star pupil, and anything below that was disappointing.
But, the second semester was different for me. I was going through a lot mentally, and I wasn't in the right state of mind to focus on school. I also felt as if I was in a slump, stuck between what I was studying and what I really wanted to do with my life. My classes were piling on more and more work each week, which was normal to me as a STEM major. But, for some reason, when I checked my grades at the end of the semester, I was still shocked by how poor I did.
Despite all this, I've realized that it is possible to bounce back after a rough semester. I hope to not make the same mistakes this next semester. You too can also bounce back, no matter how poor you think you did. Here are three tips to make those pesky C's become delightful A's:
1. Create A Plan For Yourself
Whether it is in a planner or just some notes on your phone, think about what you want to do next semester and how you can accomplish that. It doesn't have to be school related; it can also be financial or relational. It doesn't hurt to have a few bullet points dictating what you could do better for yourself. Create a plan to work on schoolwork on some days but dedicate other days to a job or internship. Find ways to improve yourself.
2. Don't Focus On The Bad
If you don't move forward, you'll always fall backward. Although it's easy to think you failed yourself, you really didn't. You're only human, and you can't always expect yourself to be perfect. It's okay to be sad over something like this, but never to the point where you hate yourself. You are better than that, and you will be better than that. Just think of your next semester as your fresh, clean slate, and be ready to move forward with it.
3. Know That You Will Still Be Successful
Although you have had a rough time, you will still accomplish great things in your life, no matter if your parents yell at you or if your professors demean your efforts. You can't let one thing define your life forever, and a bad GPA isn't going to stick for all four years.
Although I initially freaked out and did damage control, I realize now that even though I did make a few mistakes, I hope to do better later. I know that if I put in the effort, I'll get somewhere. I knew for sure I wasn't going to let this mess up my summer. A bad semester is just a few months, remember that.
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