It may be the last thing you feel like doing at the moment, especially after surviving a week of finals, but the end of the semester is a good time to take a minute and reflect on what worked and what didn’t the previous fourteen weeks. By the time you begin the next semester, you may have forgotten the little things you promised that you would do to be more successful in your classes. So take a minute and do a quick review of spring semester:

• What worked well? Did you discover that you do better in an afternoon class? Now is the time to make sure that you try to work your schedule around the times when you’re most alert! Maybe you discovered that you like having a class that is mostly discussion rather than lecture. If so, look for instructors who are well known for their discussion classes.
• What didn’t work well? Maybe you learned that, although your friends all rave about web courses, you found yourself getting behind and procrastinating. You discovered that you need a live teacher and classmates to keep you motivated. No problem with that. Sign up for on-ground classes in the future.
• What improvements do you need to make next semester? Here are some things that students often say at the end of the semester:
  • “I needed to start my research paper earlier.”
  • “I should have gone to the math tutor in the Learning Center.”
  • “I should have seen my instructor during her office hours.”
  • “Textbooks are expensive, but I need one. Checking it out of the library isn’t enough for me.”

Jot those things down now. Put them in writing so you’ll be reminded of them next semester. If you need to cut spending on eating out, so you can buy your textbook next term, then now’s the time to get started. If you know that math is going to be hard for you, get the Learning Center schedule the first day of class and make sure that you have time between classes and work to go in and work with the tutors.

The point is now is the time to plan the changes that will make next semester more successful for you. If you wait until the next semester starts, then it’s too easy to drift back into the same old patterns!

And then once you plot your chart for success for next semester, go out and have some fun. After all, it is semester break!