Welcome to Spring 2025! As you start the semester, what are some things you should think about to get started strong?
Think about what went well and what might change from last semester
Take some time to reflect on how your previous semester went. Find some time to think about the following questions:
- What went well? Think about what you did that was helpful to your success. This is important so you can continue to use and adapt those strategies moving forward.
- What might you have done differently? Is there anything you’d like to try differently this time around? Tweak and adjust? What is your plan to make the hard parts easier this time?
- Final thoughts – take a big picture look at how things went. Celebrate your successes and identify your areas for growth. There will always be opportunities to work smarter, not harder.
If you haven’t done the LSC’s Canvas module on “Gearing Up for a New Semester“, it’s not too late to self-enroll and refine your plan for success this spring!
Develop a system to manage your time
Time management is one of the top skills current and former Cornell students say is key to success. So, how do you develop a plan to manage your time?
- Create and maintain a schedule: even though it can be a challenge, it is important to create a schedule – and stick to it. Consider using semester calendars to map out big due dates and important events and weekly planner to map out how you will spend your time in a week.
- Sleep: Sleep is necessary for processing and retaining new information-you need to sleep in order to learn. Scheduling enough time for sleep can be just as important as scheduling enough time to study.
- Break the cycle of procrastination: if you procrastinate, LSC can help you figure out why. This info will inform what you can do to break the cycle.
- Develop a plan for unplanned events: This may sound odd -how can you plan for something you don’t know about?- but things happen! Develop a plan for if you need to miss class before you need it.
Work smarter, not harder!
- Get the most out of the syllabus and see what you need to focus on with LSC’s syllabus checklist.
- Develop a study plan that spreads out your study time and preparation for exams.
- Find effective study strategies that are ACTIVE, not passive. An example of a passive strategy is to re-read your notes or look over old homework–you’re not really working your brain when you do this. Active techniques might have you retrieve knowledge from your memory; an example is self-testing (taking a practice exam under test-like conditions – no looking at answer keys!) and blank-page testing or working with your study partners to develop your own sample test questions.
- Amp-up your note-taking strategies by using Cornell Notes.
Get help when (not if) you need it!
Successful students ask for help when they need it! So, where do you get help? Check out our post on “Where to get help when you need it!” for some ideas.
Hear it from your peers! Check out successful students’ top 10 recommendations for starting strong!