The end of the semester has finally come. Surprisingly, I’m managing to pass all of my classes, with room to spare. I feel like normally, most students feel pretty stressed at the end of the semester, especially with finals coming up. Still, I’ve been feeling motivated and excited to finish classes. I was worried that I might be overwhelmed with all my final projects and exams, but I’ve managed to effectively space out my time with when and where I should do my work, and communication with other members of group projects has been good, too. Last semester I had group members who never responded or showed up to group meetings, so the group had to do their work as well. Equal participation in group projects has also been an issue for me in the past, not only with other people not pulling their weight but also with me trying to take the lead too much. I think (and hope) that I have been able to let other members shine in our projects as well as being actively involved.
Looking back on this semester, I notice what strategies I have used well and what I can avoid in the future. One tip mentioned to me is to use a calendar and plan out my time. Previously, I had an agenda in which I marked all the work I needed to do. This method sort of worked but definitely needed to be refined. I didn’t consistently look at it and tended to forget to put things in it. To fix this, I got a daily planner. It allowed me to write (down to the minute) where and when I had to do homework, class, or a group meeting. I also bought a whiteboard to put down any extensive goals and smaller steps that needed to be taken in order to reach them. Finally, I set aside time on the weekends to fill out the planner and whiteboard and go over what needed to be done for the week. Although I didn’t stick to this schedule every week, the expectation allowed me to complete it pretty often. I also learned that I could not work in my dorm, so I made sure I went to other places to do my work. Usually these work sessions would be after a class or work, so I would already be out of my dorm and didn’t need the motivation to get up and leave. After putting all these tips and tricks into practice, I can conclude that the greatest help came from seeing a therapist. Even with all these strategies, I would not be able to put them into action without confidence to do well. I struggled with self-motivation for a long time, so talking to someone about my issues cleared my head and allowed me to think about what was essential.
As for the future. I am proud of how far I have come this semester and am looking forward to continuing my success next semester. I am repeating previously failed courses in the coming semester, so this time, I want not just to do well but prosper. I will put all my fruitful strategies into place and prepare ahead of time. I have my old notes from these classes and intend to look over and understand them before I even step into class. In conclusion, these blog posts have allowed me to properly reflect on my awful freshman year and refine how I feel about moving forward. I am excited for the new year and the opportunity to flourish.