In the words of Johnny Mathis, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” Well, about three weeks ago, it was. The whole family gets together for fun, fellowship and fattening feasts. You and all of your closest friends reunite for juicy tell-alls to share all the gossip and excitement from the past months. And, of course, there’s plenty of rest and relaxation thrown in the mix. However, once the joy of Christmas fades and the jubilee of New Year’s dissipates, what’s left? You look up, and all of the sudden everything that used to read “2011” now screams “2012.” Now, you find yourself staring into the face of a new year and all it brings. This is it….a fresh start. A whole new calendar. An opportunity for a new you andmost importantly, a new semester. Yes, my friends, it’s “back to the books.”
So, what’s the difference? Well, besides the obvious change in your schedule (at least, I hope so), there’s a whole new influx of people, places and things out there for you to experience. Basically, there’s a whole new world available to you. And, at an institution as large as MSU I believe you know what I mean by “world.” Now, the question remains: How will you approach this semester? Was last semester so great that you’d be willing to do the exact same things or would you do things completely different? Are you just going to nonchalantly run on autopilot or will you take some initiative?
I asked three different girls from completely different backgrounds about their outlooks and plans regarding a new semester. Here are the interesting things they had to say.
“Being a freshman, I definitely feel more confident after having one semester under my belt,” said Media & Information major, Hayley Kluska. “I know what to expect now. I’m more prepared so I don’t think I’m as stressed and totally freaked out as I was first semester. Also, my classes this semester seem a lot more interesting to me. I dreaded going to almost all of my classes last semester. But now I’m taking classes that actually hold my attention that I think will motivate me more. I definitely want to improve my grades in general and become more organized.”
Amanda Furtaw, a sophomore and Special Education major said, “First and foremost I plan on spending less time with people who don’t build me up and more time with my God and friends who really care about me.”
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Last, but not least, Amanda Taylor simply replied, “relax.”Spoken like a true senior.
I, personally, agree with all three of these responses. All topics that were mentioned—preparedness, academics, time management and relaxation—go hand-in-hand. As a freshman myself, I have come to realize just how complex college life really is and that the four topics mentioned can be applied to any area of the college experience. How, so? Let’s use “the party scene” at college as an example. Misuse of time management—as in, going out when you know you have reading to catch up on—reduces your preparedness for the next class and deprives you of an opportunity to relax because you’ll find yourself cramming. Needless to say that will affect your grade. Get my point?
Moreover, all goals and outlooks aside, I asked the girls to share some tips that they thought would be most helpful:
“Honestly, if I could give any good tips to help students get through the rough times during this semester, I would say first and foremost SLEEP! Make sure you get rested so you can handle everything that gets thrown at you,” said Furtaw.
Hayley suggests, “The first week of classes go through the syllabus for each class and write down all the due dates, exams, and finals in your assignment notebook. You will actually know what is the heck is going on and when everything is due.”
Another tip that all three girls agreed upon is the importance of health. “Make sure to eat right. It’s so hard to do on campus, but choose something that will give you the energy you need to use your brain and your body to get your butt all over this massive campus,” they replied.
And, of course, we can’t forget the one element that affects every girl: her social life. Amanda states that, “both school and social life are important. It’s good that you have a firm grasp on both and keep them separate and controlled. Sometimes with so much going on, it’s easy to get stressed out. Go out and have some fun, but know your limits and your priorities.”
Now, you might be wondering how all of this coincides? Well, the one thing all of these useful tidbits of info have in common is balance. I think that can be summed up by the last of Amanda Furtaw’s useful quotes:
“Most importantly make sure you stay grounded and focused on what is important to you!”
It would prove very useful to sit back and determine, “What do I want out of this semester and why?” Once you determine your individual goals, what’s most important to you and how to balance them, no matter what you should have no regrets if it was the right decision for you in the end. Nonetheless, despite all the hype about the college experience and the intense pressure to succeed this semester, embrace the words of Amanda Taylor and simply “smile more.” I think that’s a good place to start! :)