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When the semester break is over, you will need to go back to your student life routine. Restarting can be exciting, boring or sloppy. The start of the semester is a sign of another term of coursework, tutorial sessions, deadlines and revision. Get yourself going and on a good beginning with the help of some tips to also get you through the rest of the semester.
Start Early
Know what materials you need to read during the semester. Before teaching begins, borrow them from the library to get to them first before other students can and read ahead. Skim through your new modules for the semester to get an overview of the length and depth of the subject you will tackle for following weeks and plan your attack accordingly, as in the next tip.
Have a Plan
Prepare a comprehensive plan of how you will spread your subjects’ syllabus throughout the corresponding parts of the semester. Make sure to use deadlines as the main basis. Do not stop at making it on your computer, a print out copy is a very good visual aid.
Stay Focused
Remember that being a student, your job is to study and it is a full-time arrangement. It means that everything you do in your life should be governed by your being a student first. Your rest and recreation must be guided by your university tasks. Take care of your health and alertness for your academic obligations. You cannot be sleepy at the lecture, study time, tutorial sessions and everything – so you need to get enough rest and sleep every day. Prepare, stay organised and keep focused.
Get Experience
The start of semester is also a good time to begin internships or placements. So include in your schedule the working hours of a part-time job that is relevant to your degree. Go into student jobs whichever year you are at now. Undergraduate work experience help you better understand your course and future career. It is an advantage when you start your professional career.
Consult with Your Tutors and Lecturers
You need to do many tasks – coursework or essays, readings, projects and group meetings. Big problems with this are information overload and burn out which can lead to confusion. This or otherwise, you should ask your tutors and lecturers questions. They are there to help facilitate your learning. They will be glad to discuss with you topics which you have difficulty with. They even welcome more intellectual conversations.
Discipline Yourself, Reward Yourself
Again, being a student is a job. Nevertheless, you do not have the structured work place. You are like a freelance professional working on your own and you have an unwritten employment contract with your tutors, lecturers, parents, family, and yourself. It is up to you to manage your own time and discipline yourself. Also, it is up to you to reward yourself. Have the resolve to work hard towards educational success and, every now and then, give yourself a tap on the shoulder. Then, repeat.
Start Right! Do Better!
The new semester is a chance to start again. Make things better by doing things the better way. Maybe, do the better things. If you performed miserably last term, now is the opportunity to rectify. If you have done well the last time, raise it higher.
