Dear Andi,
I hope you can help me. I am a sophomore who is looking to attend Grad school, so I need to buckle down. Last spring semester I got my worst GPA ever! I feel like all the warmer weather and everyone being outside and more social has lead me to get distracted from my work. How can I prevent this from happening again?
-Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year
Dear Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year,
I totally know what you mean about the warmer weather and people being more social! Winter usually means people go out less because of the cold weather and the overall drab feeling of the season. However, with all the spring fun to come, you must maintain focus on your academics. After all, you are here at college as a student to learn things [ ;) believe it or not]. Finals really sneak up on you during the spring semester- especially more than the fall semester because as we all know, after Spring Break passes the year seems to fly by!
You have to remind yourself daily of your goals toward Graduate school. Graduate schools are competitive and it takes focus and determination to be accepted. To maintain that motivation try writing a post-it note to yourself and posting it on your laptop, mirror, night-stand; somewhere you will see it every day to remind yourself of your goal. It can say anything along the lines with “Study hard-not hardly!” or “[insert ideal graduate school name here] is only 4 semesters away!]” As corny as that may seem, no one is around to kick you in the butt except for yourself, and you need to do what it takes to stay focused.
As far as the Spring Fever symptoms go, you do not have to sacrifice the cheery weather for schoolwork! You can pack your laptop, spiral, textbook or whatever else you need to study and head for a spot near Freedom Square, the Beach-where you can eye a few cuties in between a math problem or chapter!
Think of it this way, once you get your Masters degree you can sit outside in the sun with a lemonade all day if you want-but in the mean time you need to work to earn that playtime! So grab your shades, an extra bed sheet, your SPF 15, and bottle of water along with your work and soak up the sun and some knowledge. Study Hard!
xoxo Andi