Dragging To School: Start and End Your Semester Right

By Nee Tackie
Staff Writer

Simple tips to help you start your semester right.

Overwhelmed with studies

It’s the beginning of the semester. A long one as usual, and perhaps boring if you have to take one of those courses just to meet requirements. You’re here, anyway, hoping to keep your head above water till spring sets in ushering in the hopes of summer.

However, you’re just not prepared for the semester. Interestingly, your preparation or lack of it will have the slightest impact on how the semester is designed to go.

How do you then plug yourself in to flow with the current in order to come out at the end of the term with flying colors and not just a survivor?

Last semester, like most students, I worked full time as a banker and took twelve credits; this semester I’m doing the same. Juggling school and work and for some, family, is a complex art that requires dexterity and great focus. I’ve adopted a few practices that have helped in the long run and I’m sure will help everyone who will consider them.

First, get counseling before the semester begins. This is my first step in preparing for the semester. Counselors and advisors are very busy at the beginning of the semester; try to get a hold of them before the ‘rush hour’. For instance, you want to get advising for the fall semester before the spring semester ends. This way you avoid rush and have enough time to make any changes if need be.

Early registration is the next step in making sure that your classes are secured. After you’ve consulted with your advisor about what classes to take, consider early registration. The registrar’s office will be full of students trying to register for classes that may have already been in session for a week. Late registration is not the best practice, since you’re likely to miss a couple of classes and may not be able to catch up. For me, online registration is easier and very time effective since I don’t have to fill out forms and stand in long queues to get registered in person. For moms and dads with time constraints, online registration is one way to go.

There’s almost nothing as stressful as taking classes while your textbooks are yet to arrive in the mail. Find out what textbooks you need for your classes and contact the bookstore to get them in advance. If you like to buy your books online for the sake of getting a better deal, then try to have them in before classes start. This is one way I avoid the stress of having to work the first week without my textbooks.

Imagine the first day of semester and you have no idea where your classes will be. You walk into one class only to say, “Oops I’m sorry, wrong class. Quite embarrassing but it can be avoided. How do I beat this? A day or two before the official start of the semester, I drive to campus on my way home from work for a brief moment I call the ”observation tour”. This helps me to take notice of where my classes will be held and more importantly how to get to those classrooms. As basic as it may be, it will help you get to know your classes in advance since you cannot navigate your way around campus with a GPS.

If you’re a working parent with young children who need extra attention and care, you may want to take advantage of the day care facility HCC offers. You can ask about this at the information desk in the main lobby.

Now that you’re ready to face the semester head on, don’t forget the importance of communication with your professors or instructors. Make them aware of any disabilities or inadequacies that could impede your learning process. This did not apply in my case. However, certain conditions and situations may require special attention for some students and you owe it to yourself to bring it to the attention of your professors if you have such situation. For instance if for any reason you will be fifteen minutes late to class every day, inform them.

With these few steps and determination, you can be sure of a good start, setting yourself up for a good finish with a pinch of hard work. After all, the end is what matters most.