As students jump into the new year, they discuss how they’re getting ready for the new semester.
After a long winter break, students are beginning to prepare for the new year and this new semester in order to perform the best they can academically.
As this semester starts off, students are excited and hopeful for what’s to come as they focus on how to better plan for a new set of class schedules and routines. Engineering freshman Ani Mitchell said she is now adequately prepared for what to expect.
“Well, last semester being my first semester, I was very nervous going into it,” Ani said. “But this semester I’m hopeful and ready for what the future may bring, and I’m gonna work as hard as I possibly can this semester to succeed.”
Many students have organized agendas in order to help them keep track of their responsibilities. Education freshman Eniya Clements said her tedious organization has been the key tool to helping her keep order of her many tasks.
“Personally, I like to use Google Calendar, Notion, iPhone calendar and my whiteboard wall calendar,” Clements said. “I make sure they sync up so that everywhere I look, I know what I’m doing. So it’s not just one calendar that I have to go find, there’s multiple calendars to make sure I’m on the right track.”
Along with keeping up with school work, many students choose to be a part of several organizations, which can compound stress and responsibilities. Biology freshman Malaya Mitchell said she is looking forward to joining more organizations and learning how to manage more tasks.
“I’m gonna put more of an emphasis on organizations this semester because I kind of already know what I’m doing with school,” Malaya said. “In order to navigate them properly, I’m gonna have to create a weekly schedule and stick to that weekly schedule in order to go to all my [organizations] and complete all my work.”
In the midst of juggling multiple classes and assignments, it’s important to many that they keep a healthy balance of work and fun. Creating a balance between the two helps the semester actually feel enjoyable and less stressful, Ani said.
“I’m looking forward to doing all the things I wasn’t able to do last semester,” Ani said. “Like spending more time with my friends, going out more and having fun, stuff like that instead of being stuck at home. My friends and I also decided to say ‘yes’ to more opportunities to give ourselves more experiences.”
Another aspect of preparation this semester is getting to know professors well and making an effort to let them know who you are, Malaya said.
“I’m excited to actually be able to get to know my professors this semester,” Malaya said. “I’ll have more time, and I’m excited to find a more balanced and healthy routine. [Also], some of the professors I have this semester are the same as last semester, so it’s been helpful to not have to adjust to a new teaching style.”
Clements said a piece of advice for a successful semester is to carry the same determination all year long, to continue to give the very best effort towards every class and assignment and not give up.
“I’d just say keep the same energy,” Clements said. “I feel like in spring semester, it’s easier for people to slack off just because they know that they can, ‘get through it’, but I think it’s important to use that same ammunition that everyone had from fall semester and just keep the train chugging.”
