Dear Spring Semester Self,
Congratulations; you have made it through fall semester! Unlike high school, college isn't cumulative throughout the year, so you literally get a fresh start after winter break. New classes, new professors, maybe even new friends will be entering your life in the upcoming months. College was a huge transition, so all those mistakes that you made a few months ago are pretty typical and therefore acceptable. That being said, however, I have learned a lot from last semester, which is why I want to offer my advice before you go back to school for round 2.
One of the biggest problems I had first semester was not knowing how to study. In high school, I would prepare one or two days before an exam and ace it. If I did poorly on one test, it wasn't a big deal. However, I quickly learned that this was not the case in college. You have to study every day in order to keep up with the material, and if you bomb one test, your grade will be in jeopardy. You now know that the professors do not feed you all the information that is going to be on exams. Who knew that it was completely normal in college to have to open the textbook and teach yourself the material? I have found that the best method to doing well in college classes is to outline the material before the professor teaches it. Doing this will not only force you to study, but also it will allow you to actually focus on what the professor is saying instead of worrying about writing down every word he or she says. Typically, especially in big lecture classes, a day-to-day syllabus is provided at the beginning of the course, so you know exactly what is going to be taught in class all semester. By having strong study habits from the first day, you will definitely see a remarkable increase in your GPA. Don't wait until the last minute.
I wish school was the only problem you had to deal with in college, but unfortunately, social life can be an issue too.
YOU NEED TO SLEEP! Stop going to bed at 2am every night because you're not going to be able to function best this way. And partying more nights a week than not isn't going to help this issue either. You experienced the college night life last semester, and I know I for one am kinda over it; don't waste your time going to the same old parties that are only going to hurt your grades in the long run. There is a balance between your social and academic lives that you should hit the ground running with in the spring.
Similar to this point, I recommend you don't waste your time on the opposite sex next semester, especially if you are in a situation where you really need to pull up that GPA. Through myself and my friends, last semester I have learned that no boy is worth failing an exam for. Speaking from an emotional girl's point of view, boys are probably the biggest distraction from schoolwork because if they're not with you physically, they're in your head. Focus on yourself, and don't let anyone get in the way of your goals.
Although spring semester is a fresh start, you should not forget all of the experiences you had last semester, as you are a product of your own adventures. Now is the time that you can laugh at your mistakes and learn from them.
Good luck!
XOXO,
Fall Semester Self
