Did you end last semester with disappointing results? Had you expected a better performance from yourself? Don’t worry. Each semester in college is a new beginning, so take advantage of this opportunity to start over. Take time to reflect on what held you back last semester, and make a plan to change for the better.Identify Your Weaknesses Do you procrastinate?
Are you careless with your spending? Does your enthusiasm get you into too many activities ? Do you skip meals and neglect sleep? These questions may make you think of something your mom said once (or a million times), but don’t tune out just yet. You may find that there’s a grain of truth in all that advice you’ve been ignoring.
Turn Weakness into Strength
Independence means that you are calling the shots, so here are some suggestions to follow:
1. Learn to manage your time. Right before finals is not the time to catch up on all the reading you skipped. Begin the semester determined to stay on top of daily assignments and make regular class attendance a priority. Use a scheduling app or an organizer to allocate your time.
2. Balance your load. Be smart about which classes and activities you take on. Try to mix classes so that your study load is balanced. When you take on outside interests, opt for activities that let you set the schedule. Join a gym or yoga studio instead of playing on a team. Buy tickets to a performance series instead of being in the cast of a play.
3. Set up a budget and track your spending. As a semester ends, you won’t have time to worry about how your bills will get paid. If you start out at the beginning of the term with a budget, this is one worry you will avoid. There are books and apps that walk you through the steps to set up a budget and monitor your spending. When you have money for an after-finals celebration, you’ll be glad you learned this lesson.
4. Take care of yourself. This is actually a combination of all the other things on this list. If you manage your time, balance your load, and track your spending you will find that you have time, money, and enthusiasm enough enjoy yourself. It’s amazing how nutritious food, enough sleep, reduced stress, exercise and enjoyable social interactions can make you feel!
Hope Academy's Saddleback College Program
The college program from Hope Academy is designed to provide the life coaching, academic study skills, sobriety support, and job prep you need to make a fresh start as a responsible and sober adult. Would you like to achieve this goal? Call 866-930-4673 to get started today.
