The Online Sociologist

Hey College Students!

Your final exams are over, grades are in, and you can finally get the well-deserved break you’ve been wanting. However, remember that it’s crucial that you don’t slack too much over the break, and instead use this time to start preparing for next semester. In this post, I want to focus on different things you can start doing now to prepare for the next semester, all the while relaxing and spending time with friends and family. I know that everyone’s situation is unique, so I want to urge you to adapt these tips to fit your individual needs.

Taking a Break

First things first. Let’s talk about taking a few days for yourself to readjust. And more importantly, do this without any guilt. You all just went through a lot, and you deserve some time to relax and rejuvenate. For your overachievers out there, remember:

• Relax and Rejuvenate: Take guilt-free time to relax, visit with friends and family, and do things you didn’t have time to do during the semester.
• Self-Care: Self-care isn’t simply about doing things you enjoy, but instead doing things that will help you feel better. Therefore, make sure that you are focusing on proper nutrition, exercise, and mental health.
• Adjust Your Sleep Schedule: I know college life can take a sledgehammer to your sleep schedule, whether it’s not getting enough sleep, too much sleep, or sleeping during the day while pulling all-nighters. Use this time to modify your sleep pattern for better sleep quality, health, and alertness.

Reflection and Planning

Secondly, it’s time to reflect on last semester while looking at what you have coming up next semester.

• Reflect on the Past Semester: What grades did you get and why did you get them? What was easy or difficult about the courses you took last semester? What strategies could you have implemented last semester that would have improved your performance and what stopped you from doing them? When were you most motivated last semester, and when were you the least motivated?
• Strategize the Upcoming Semester: What courses are you taking and how well do you think you’ll do in those courses? How will next semester’s courses relate to last semester’s courses? Is there overlap between those courses and are there things that you need to make sure that you refresh on? Look at next semester’s calendar. When are breaks scheduled? Moreover, based on your reflection from last semester, what periods do you think you’ll be least motivated this coming semester and what can you do to prevent this?
• Chart Your Available Time: Use a date duration calculator to see how many days between now and when you’re returning to school to see how long you can prepare for the upcoming semester.

Setting Goals

Third, create goals for the winter break, and make sure they are SMART. For those of you who don’t know, SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. For example, if you’re enrolled in Calculus II next semester after just taking Calculus I, a goal might be: “During winter break, I’m dedicating at least 1 hour each day to reviewing challenging Calculus I topics and solving practice problems.”

In addition to making your goals SMART, it’s essential to consider two key aspects of effective goal-setting:

• Break Down Larger Goals: Divide your overarching goal into smaller, more manageable objectives. Each smaller goal should act as a step towards achieving the larger goal, making it easier to track your progress.
• Set Goals Within Your Control: Instead of setting goals based on outcomes you can’t control, such as meeting with an advisor who might be on vacation, focus on what you can influence. Set goals related to actions and behaviors that lead to academic success such as consistent studying, effective time management, and self-discipline.

Making a Schedule

Fourth, once your goals are in place, make a schedule. This doesn’t just mean opening up your Google Calendar and scheduling times to work, but much more:

• Balance Academic Goals With Non-Academic Activities: Don’t forget that your larger goal for the break is to rejuvenate. Therefore, make sure that you’re allocating time both for studying and preparation while enjoying your time off.
• Plan Your Days and Weeks: Don’t just schedule time to work and study but make sure that you attach tasks to those blocks of time that will work towards your goals. Also, to ensure you are balancing your academics with non-academic endeavors, make sure that you are scheduling blocks of time for socializing and self-care.

Focused Work

Time is of the essence, so when you schedule time to work, make sure you are staying focused and don’t deviate. This deviation can come from yourself, such as “doom scrolling” TikTok when you should be concentrating on Chemistry, or being interrupted by friends or family. To combat this, try the following:

• Promote Your Study Times: Let your friends and family know your goals for the winter break and when you plan on studying so that they won’t bother you during those times unless there is an emergency.
• Avoid Distractions: Use apps like Freedom or Cold Turkey to block distracting websites and apps across all of your devices.
• Pomodoro Technique: focus your study sessions by using the Pomodoro technique. The Pomodoro technique is a time management method that involves breaking work into intervals, traditionally 25 minutes in length, separated by short five-minute breaks. While studying use methods that will be most conducive to learning, such as flashcards or timed practice problems.
• Effective Study Techniques: Don’t just simply reread chapters or watch lectures, but instead use active methods of learning such as flashcards, completing practice problems, and timed writing. While these methods will be more difficult and uncomfortable, they will help maximize your learning.

Conclusion

In conclusion, effectively utilizing these strategies can set a strong foundation for the upcoming semester. By taking guilt-free time off to recharge, reflecting on past experiences, setting SMART goals, carefully planning your schedule, and focusing on productive study habits, you can strike a balance between academic preparedness and personal well-being. Remember, the goal isn’t just to prepare academically, but also to return to school refreshed, focused, and ready to tackle new challenges.

Let’s Discuss

I’d love to hear from you! What strategies do you plan to use during the winter break? Do you have any tips or experiences from past breaks that helped you prepare for the new semester? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below. Let’s learn from each other and build a supportive community where we can all thrive academically and personally. I’m looking forward to reading your insights and stories!