It’s that time of the year, the end of winter term has finally arrived and it’s time to start off Spring Term with a new outlook! The weather will be sunnier, but that does not mean your grades have to suffer! With these easy fixes, you’ll be making Spring term your most successful!
1) You were not engaged in extracurricular/campus activities
Winter term can be tough, and it can be hard to get yourself out there and involved in things around campus when all you want to do is stay in and catch up on The Bachelor. Believe it or not, this is not the best way to beat your Seasonal Affective Disorder!
Fix: Now that you are ready for a new start and the weather will be getting warmer, engage yourself in campus activities. Stay tuned and up-to-date on fun guest lecturers, and free food events. Check out the U of Oregon app, to get informed on ways to earn community service, eat delicious food, or watch a foreign film.
2) You spread yourself too thin with extracurricular activities
Ok, so maybe you are on the opposite end of the spectrum and were involved in so many clubs, you had no time for yourself for some R&R. You were overworked and constantly exhausted, not a fun way to go about your last term.
Fix: Make sure you schedule things into your calendar so you are always aware of your prior commitments. Don’t be afraid to say no to things, if you don’t have time, you don’t have time. Better to say no and use your precious time to your advantage then to end up always resenting what you say yes to. Give yourself a break, and make it a goal to get those 8 hours of sleep a night, trust me, a good night’s sleep can make everything feel doable.
3) You ended up skipping too many lectures that you thought were “optional”
Ok, this happens to the best of us, you think, “I’ll just skip one, we don’t even have attendance or iclickers for this class!” Before you know it, you’ve skipped three weeks of a lecture that only meets twice a week and you don’t know why you bombed that midterm. Listening in lecture makes a bigger difference than you think.
Fix: Only skip when you really can’t go, for example when you are sick. You paid for the class, and you have a good reason for taking it, whether its for a gen-ed or for your major. Make sure the class time that you choose is realistic! If you know you will not wake up for that 8am chemistry lecture, pick a different time. Being present in class and hearing what the teacher says really makes a difference on tests. Often times, professors will put questions on the test that are not on the slides or in the readings. It’s worth it, and you’ll feel better about learning in the long run.
Spring term is all about new beginnings, so why not make this your best term yet!