Have A Reflective And Relaxing Winter Break!

Now that you’re between semesters, you’re out of school from anywhere to a couple weeks to more than a month! Feels good, doesn’t it? Sure does. The last thing you want to think about is school—but hold up there for a moment. 

Fortunately you’ve finished your first semester, so there’s no lingering homework or pesky reading assignments to take up your precious vacation time. Phew. Yet don’t put school completely out of your mind…

Now that you’re one semester down, use this time to reflect. That’s right. That’s all you have to do. Just give the whole college thing some thought and reevaluation. Think about how you did this first semester. What went well? What could be improved? One of the exciting things about college is that there are so many facets to it. School and classes alone provide much to ponder on, and then there’s dorm life and more. 

Pretty soon, those big final exams will be graded, meaning you’ll have your first-semester marks in, your first barometer check on how you’re doing academically. Hopefully those grades are looking up, and if they are, give yourself a pat on the back for a first semester well done. But if they weren’t as high as you hoped, now’s your chance to really figure out why. 

College life, whether you do all your homework or you hardly study, will keep you busy. But now that you’re away from classes for a few weeks, you have the time to reflect and actually implement change if you need to. So if those grades weren’t so hot, what was the reason? Did you place partying before studying on most nights? Was college harder than expected? Now’s your chance to make a diagnosis and turn things around for next semester.

Similarly, is there any patchwork needed on the dorm front? Hopefully you’re friends with your roommate, or have an at least amicable relationship. Even if things couldn’t have gone better that first semester, think about what you’d like to do for the rest of your college career. If, for example, you still haven’t found that club or extracurricular activity that you’re passionate about, do some research now that you have the time. You’re one semester down, but that’s also one semester less to get the most out of your college career. So while time’s readily available to really think about college, use it.