New Semester, New Me!

I’ve survived another semester of college! Sometimes that’s a “yay!”, but a lot of times that’s a “dear god, there’s another?” College is super hard, and even with all the fun parts, it can still be super not fun at times. You may fail a class or struggle socially. College has all these new and different experiences, and we don’t always respond as well as we could. But a new semester is a chance for a new beginning! So this is a guide on how to recover after a tough semester.

Look on the Bright Side!

I figured we’d start on a positive note. Even the worst of college experiences are sprinkled with silver linings. So take out a sheet of paper and write about all the great parts about this past semester. Whether it was making new friends, going out, or just getting active in the community, there’s gotta be something worth celebrating from the last few months. College is definitely about learning, but it’s also one of our greatest periods of growth. We create life-long bonds and go on crazy adventures. But remembering all the wild things we do is one of the best parts of doing the thing.

Evaluate What Needs Changing

On a less fun note, we have to take note of what didn’t go as well as we would’ve liked this past semester. College is fun! But also hard, and not every semester goes as planned. My first semester of college I ended up with a low GPA, way lower than anything I’d ever gotten in high school. It freaked me out beyond belief! So what’s the part of your semester that you’d love a redo on? Maybe your grades aren’t as good as you thought they’d be, or you don’t have many close friends. Having these sorts of missteps are just that, missteps. But you’re gonna take a gazillion other steps within your time here, so this isn’t the time to freak out or do anything rash.

Work to Change It!

This one’s gonna be a bit more active than the last two parts, but I think you’re up for it. Waiting for things to change and making the same mistakes is exactly what will keep you in any rut you’re stuck in. Solution? Work to change it! Grades not where you hoped they would be? Go to office hours or study more or procrastinate a little less. Not many friends? Join a club! Getting involved in activities is a great way to meet people. And feel like you have problems that go deeper than an over enthusiastic blog? Part of your tuition pays for the counselors here, so you might as well use them.

You have to really put in effort if you want to change a bad year, but with hard work and a little luck your next semester can become your best semester!