3 Tips for a Successful Spring Semester for First-Year Students

Your second semester of college is an exciting time! With a semester under your belt, hopefully you now feel more comfortable with college-level work, you’re excited to take different classes or maybe even explore another course with a professor you like. Perhaps you’ve settled on a major or are eager to continue to explore your options. Either way, we hope college is feeling more like home to you.

Depending on how your first semester went, you may want to use the Spring semester as a fresh start or as another stepping stone to your goals for college and beyond. To assist, we have some tips and suggestions that we believe will help make your Spring semester successful.

Start developing your academic plan

Planning ahead for your academic journey is a great way to set yourself up to take advantage of all that your college experience has to offer. Some colleges will assist you right off the bat with the development of an extensive four-year academic plan to ensure your success. Such a plan can:

• Help you to understand the requirements for you chosen major and minor
• Serve as a friendly reminder about your remaining general requirements
• Assist you with early planning to study abroad or graduate early
• Provide a roadmap if you are unsure of which path to take, for instance, creating a side-by-side comparison of two different majors could help you visual which direction could work best for you

Check to see if your college’s academic advising office holds group advising sessions at the beginning of the semester to give an overview on how to start a plan and the benefits of making a first draft in your second semester. 

Get involved

There are plenty of student programs available for you to explore no matter your personal interests. Consider joining a club if you have not yet done so or look into job or internship opportunities available at your college for the semester or upcoming summer. If you are involved, think about running for a role as an officer or apply for a new leadership position for your Sophomore year such as an Admissions Ambassador or Resident Assistant (RA).

Reach out for help

The first semester of college can be challenging. Some students deal with homesickness, others find they need further assistance with the college transition, and some quickly realize their intended major wasn’t the right fit. That’s all OK! Please know, that whatever challenge you may have experienced in your first semester that it does not need to define you. The Spring semester is a chance to adjust accordingly and finish the year strong. One of the best ways to get started is to reach out to some of the helpful professionals available to assist you in key offices, such as:

• Academic Advising: The start of the semester is an ideal time to reconnect with your Academic Advisor to discuss goals and concerns. S/he can also advise you to use the add/drop period during the first week of classes to make sure the courses you selected are a right fit.
• Academic Resource Center: Utilize the services available to you here such as academic coaching or seeing a tutor and/or specialist.
• Counseling Center: Still working through the college transition? Reach out to your college’s Counseling Center to connect with professionals ready and willing to support your personal, social and academic development as well as your overall wellbeing.

In general, don’t be afraid to use college resources that maybe you didn’t know or even think to use in the Fall. It’s a new semester and a chance to continue to move forward. Remember, these resources and professionals are there to help you along your college journey!