The Semester Is Over…Now What?

By now the spring semester is over and you have received your grades.  So now what?  Here are two scenarios – one for grades you are happy with and the other for disappointing grades:

If you are happy with your grades –

*Take a few moments to feel good and proud of yourself.  You deserve it!  Succeeding at college-level work requires hard work and dedication.

*Think about what you did to set yourself up for success.   Where and when did you study?  How did you handle distractions?  What study and learning strategies did you use? 

*Look ahead to the next time you will be taking classes and think about how your successful strategies from this semester will transfer to the future.

If you are disappointed with your grades –

*Be realistic and examine your study habits from the last semester.  Did you put in enough time?  Did you use a variety of strategies?  Did you seek help when needed?

*What did you do that worked?  Think about a time when you were successful.  What did you do?  What strategies did you use?

*Think about a student you know who is successful.  What do they do that you do not?

*Think about what you did well, what you could have done differently, and resolve to change your habits in the fall.  (Consider writing this down and packing it away with your things so you will read it in the fall!)

*The important thing now is to look ahead.  The next time you are taking classes, what can you do differently?  You might consider taking a learning strategies class over the summer or buying a book about learning and college success (I know a good one listed at the bottom of this post!!). 

 The next post will deal with probation – how to get back in academic good standing as quickly as possible.

Wherever you are – think about what worked, how you can improve, and resolve to move forward!

Enjoy the summer!

First Semester Success: Study Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is now available at wordassociation.com, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com.