How to Get Most Out of the Spring Semester
The start of a new semester can bring on complicated feelings. Relief at starting with a blank slate; joy at getting away from your hometown and back to Laradise; fear of new classes and teachers; and dread in taking required courses you feel you will struggle in (or maybe even hate).
Each of these emotions is perfectly natural, but there are ways to focus on the positives to get the most out of the Spring semester at the University of Wyoming.
To begin, take the first few weeks to prepare yourself for midterms. It may seem a bit early, but asking how the midterms will look and carefully reading the syllabus will do wonders for increasing preparedness for the upcoming semester and calming any pre-exam nerves.
Additionally, reaching out and making connections with classmates will do wonders for your grades. Trading phone numbers will help you form study groups or make sure you catch up on what you missed during a sick day. It may create a friendship that will bring joy throughout the cold Spring semester.
Use the resources available to you! You are paying for them! Go to half-acre and try out the Zomba classes (they’re less embarrassing than they seem and very fun), go to the counseling center, join a club, check out movies from the library, go to your advisor, study abroad, go to Union After Dark or Pokes Pub, and go to the art or geology museum! You are paying for these things, so get the most out of your money!
While distance makes the heart grow fonder, reminding yourself of your hometown may lead you to finding solace in being back in Laramie. Hopefully, you won’t run into your ex-high school sweetheart or find that every adult you meet asks what your plans are in the future. This isn’t to say you will never be homesick, but focusing on the horrors of your hometown may lead you to appreciate the opportunities to start a new life this semester.
For classes you dread, start working on solutions to ease your struggles. Familiarize yourself with resources like the writing center, the Center for Assistance with Statistics and Mathematics (CASM), and STEP tutoring early on so you aren’t panicking to find help when you desperately need it.
Don’t be afraid to go to office hours even when you don’t need help. Professors must offer office hours, so just go in there and introduce yourself. Going early on will make it less intimidating and awkward to ask for help (or a grade boost/extension) when the time comes. If professors see you’re engaging with the class and putting in effort, they are more likely to give you a break if it seems you need it. Professors are also crucial connections that may later lead to opportunities, such as scholarship letters.
Give yourself something to look forward to, like a sweet treat at the end of a week, a game night with friends, or rewarding yourself with a tattoo or purchase for achieving a semester-long goal. While it may seem childish, finding something to relieve stress or motivate yourself to do well can really maintain productivity when motivation wears thin and dropping out looks very appealing, helping you fend off the sadness of the semester.
Switch things up and try new study spots. Most buildings have a student space, so just wander around until you find one that suits you.
Finally, for the love of all things good in the world, find a way to organize your tasks. Get a planner (which you can get for free in the basement of the Union), use sticky notes in your laptop, online calendars, alarms on your phone, or apps like Notion or Obsidian. Do not rely on the Canvas calendar, for we all know a teacher who doesn’t exactly keep their Canvas page in sync with their actual assignments.
Heading back from break may not seem like the most enjoyable thing in the world, but finding things to make it better will make all the difference.
