One semester down, one to go… Not too long ago I remember dreading to sign all the course expectation sheets from all our classes, and now finals have come to an end and we are already jumping into the second semester. All I can say is WOW. A semester I thought would never, ever end is already over and sheesh it went by in the blink of an eye. 

The first semester fully back in person after over a year of having our classroom be our rooms. This new start might have impacted us in different ways, maybe for better or for worse. Whichever one it may be, it is now time to prepare for the semester coming up now. Luckily for us, this means a clean slate, all those missing assignments-gone, all your failed tests-gone, it’s a clean slate, and it is in your hands. 

Maybe you came back and did fantastic, got good grades, stayed on top of your assignments and had good study habits. If that’s you, then keep it up, you figured out what works, all you have to do is keep that up for another semester and you’re golden. 

But for those of you who might not have figured your way around this year, take a breath and relax. You got this!

It was the first semester back after such difficult times for school. It was a very difficult shift. Now that you have seen how it is and gotten a reminder on how school works, it’s your time to shine. We were able to see what went wrong, what caused a more stressful school life and it’s time to use that to turn ourselves around and work on our mistakes. 

We are almost three weeks into this new semester, and there are definitely some things that could help make it a lot easier to manage. One of the most important things is starting ASAP. In every aspect. NO MORE EXCUSES. Three weeks in is not too late to make changes.

Don’t wait to get your act together at the end of the semester. It is ten times harder to dig yourself out of a bad grade than maintaining a stable good grade.

Creating a schedule can also be a very useful tactic, especially for people like me who aren’t the best with time management. Having a set time for certain things can keep not only our schoolwork organized but also keeps our brain organized. Being able to have a certain amount of time to study or do homework and knowing how you are going to use that time can be the fine line between keeping up or slacking off.

Getting home from school and having 4 hours to do your homework and study can create a stressful environment, being able to schedule and set certain times can ease that stress and help you to stay on top of all your work.

Aside from all that stressful side, it is also important to reward yourself. Make it exciting, so that homework and studying does not become something you completely dread. Give yourself certain assignment deadlines, split them up in smaller even amounts and have some type of reward for finishing each one. Maybe have a jar of candies or snacks to have after after completing each task, or do a longer period of working time then reward yourself with short breaks to watch tv, p Give yourself something to look forward to, something to get yourself motivated. 

Keep it paced from the beginning, staying on top of your stuff from the start and sticking to that schedule without going off track will make for a much less stressful semester and make school much more enjoyable.

Remember, the littlest changes and improvements will make bigger changes than you know.