Though it may not feel like spring outside, inside the walls of Temple University’s classrooms and lecture halls, spring semester has begun.
That means it’s time for students to get back into the swing of things.
With a couple of weeks under their belts, students have a pretty good idea of what their classes will be like and what they have gotten themselves into.
So for students who had grades that were less than ideal this fall, now is the time to redeem yourself.
Get yourself into a routine that involves studying in an atmosphere conducive to concentration.
Don’t let the distraction of college life be a vice that keeps you from reaching your goals.
Believe it or not, it is possible to take care of business and still have time to have fun.
There are simple things you can do to make things easier on yourself.
Don’t bite off more than you can chew.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be ambitious, just be realistic.
It is also important to be as organized as possible.
Keeping an assignment book might seem old-school, but it helps to keep track of homework and projects and meetings.
The bookstore has a wide selection of binders, notebooks and agenda books that can help you get your life in order, and if you’re out of cash you can always do the diamond dollar dance.
One of the biggest blunders you can make as a student is leaving things unfinished until the eleventh hour.
Don’t procrastinate!
It will only make things more stressful around due dates and presentation days.
If you start things early you can spend more time fine-tuning them.
It may also be helpful to give yourself due dates for each portion of a project so it won’t seem like such a monumental task.
Several Temple students shared their spring semester resolutions.
When asked how he will improve his grades this semester, senior Joel Moro said he plans to “actually go to class and even read a book here and there.”
Similar reactions came from other students who have resolved to change their bad habits.
“I let myself slip and consequently, so did my GPA, but I am going to reform this semester,” said junior, Doug Straus.
“I’ll put more effort into studying so I definitely get a 4.0,” said an optimistic freshman, Milahn Hull.
At the other end of the spectrum are those over achievers who simply aren’t satisfied with mere “good grades.”
Oh no, only A’s will do for these prodigal students!
Freshman Suzanne Dahdal said: “I think I did pretty well first semester but now that I know how things work at Temple, I’ll do even better the second time around.”
To some, doing well in classes just comes easily.
Freshman Danielle DiGennaro says that she was pleased with her performance first semester.
“Now my goal is to stay awake during class,” she said.
As for others, like sophomore Dori Williams, the difficulty of the classes wasn’t the problem, but rather the ease of not going to them.
“Some mornings it’s just so tempting to stay in bed. But this semester I am going to get enough sleep so I can wake up on time,” she said.
Remember, it’s not hard to repair a dropping GPA, it just takes some elbow grease and dedication.
Milli Protheroe can be reached at bobhope@temple.edu.
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