Okay guy,s I have some news. It may be good or bad news, most of you will take it as bad news, but school is basically back. For people like myself for whom school is returning and for other people who have a little more time, the point is that school is back. But what I do not want you guys to do is panic. Yes, 2016 was horrible and by extension your last semester probably wasn't the best either. Personally, I was stressed out last semester more than I ever have been at college. But this is a new year and a new semester and with some changes, we can make next semester better. Here are some tips I have from my experience at college so far that might help you have a better semester.
Start on a new page. Think of this semester as a whole new year which should be easier seeing as it is a whole new year. If something disappointed you about last semester, do not let that get you down. Instead use it as motivation to do better next time. I like to get new notebooks and stationary to get that whole starting on a new page feeling.
Try to figure out what times of the day you are most productive and schedule your classes during that time if possible. For example, if you know you aren't a morning person then avoid those 8 a.m. classes because most likely you are not going to want to wake up for that. Personally, I do not get enough sleep at night so I like to take naps during the day, so I am good with morning classes and then late evening classes so that I can rest in between.
A lot of people I know are alright with missing the first week of school saying that the professors don't teach anything the first week. I strongly advise against it. I do not recommend missing the first class or first week because it is your opportunity to get a feel for the class. If the syllabus shows that the workload will be too much for you that semester or that the professor is not to your liking then it is your opportunity, depending on your school's registration rules, to drop that class without it being a withdrawal. If you miss the first week, you might walk into a high difficulty course the second week that you can't get out of without it going on your transcript.I also advise building a relationship with your professor from the very first class, even if it is just speaking to your professor after your class has ended.
These were some tips on how to make this semester better than the last now that school is back but the best thing you can do is to try to change your attitude towards school. Yes, school is hard and time-consuming and make you want to just break down and cry sometimes, trust me I know, but if we think about it in a more positive light, as a stepping stone towards or future dreams and goals, then it shouldn't seem so terrible. Let's give our best this year!!
