Back to School: Spring Semester Edition

Starting a new semester can be hard, especially after a long, break. Whether you’ve been working, traveling, relaxing, or doing a combination of these activities, it’s time to get back into the mode of busy, school schedules. By returning to the right mindset and taking steps to prepare, you can go from falling into that Spring semester slump to feeling motivated and ready to take on another semester! Here are some pieces of advice I have to start the semester off right:

1. Get comfortable with your class schedule – Make sure your class schedule is all set for the Spring semester. I’ve definitely been in the position of constantly checking add/drop during the first week of classes to see if a spot has opened up in a class, so I could take it with a different professor or at a different time! Of course, it’s not always possible to do this, but it’s worth a shot! Talking to friends who have taken the classes you’re about to take can also be very beneficial. They will have an opinion about the professor they took the class with and may offer some tips for success. In addition, going to class the first day and getting a feel for the professor’s lecture style and course policies is necessary to solidify your opinion about a class when there’s still time to add/drop. Another tip to think about is, if you want to make a good first impression in a class, go up and introduce yourself to the professor or stop by their office hours to talk about the course and your goals. This is a fantastic way to start building a good relationship with your professors when you still have some free time the first week of classes.

PScheduler is a schedule builder created by a VT student!

2. Start planning – The new year is a great time to revamp your planning system. Planning or journaling is a great way to organize your schoolwork, club obligations, internship tasks, or work schedule as well as lifestyle things, like meal or workout ideas, books you want to read, friends you want to spend more time with etc. Bullet journaling is a great outlet if you’re looking for freedom and customizability. It’s like brain-dumping your life into a journal! This Medium article offers helpful tips about bullet journaling if you’re interested in learning more about how to start one for yourself! It also explains how writing by hand engages multiple senses (visual, kinesthetic, and tactical) which helps to better commit tasks and goals to memory and signals to your brain that they are important. Personally, pairing my calendar on my laptop/phone with a traditional planner has helped me a lot with the organization in college!

Planning will help you organize your school, work, and social activities! Look out for all of our exciting CWIB events this semester! Photo credit: CWIB

3. Be open to new opportunities – The Fall semester isn’t the only time to get more involved in campus organizations, try something you’ve always been interested in, or land a summer internship! Many student organizations and local companies put out applications during the Spring semester in preparation for the next year, like the CWIB leadership application that is out now (APPLY NOW!) or the Student Success Center that accepts applications for course tutors in February to build their staff for the following year. During the Spring semester, there is also still time to find summer job opportunities With Spring Business Horizons scheduled for February 6th, you can network with company representatives looking to hire interns, externs, and full-time employees. Leveraging your own connections with friends, family, and past co-workers is also a tried and true way to land a summer internship in the Spring. Just don’t give up on the search!

We know you are going to be a total boss this semester! Photo credit: The Aggie

We know all of you will get back in the swing of things and have a phenomenal Spring semester. With bi-weekly articles, The CWIB Chronicles is a fantastic resource for you throughout the semester, so remember to keep up regularly!