Spring semester is now well underway and hopefully going better than the fall semester, especially for freshmen. Us freshmen had so much to learn the first time through.
I know I am trying to stay away from my old bad habits and remember what worked and didn’t during the first semester. Below is a quick list I made to remind myself of how to stay out of trouble a list of negative commands seemed more appropriate to help keep me out of bad habits.
DON’T:
- Wait for diving inspiration to write that English paper
- Practice videogames unless you prefer being good at videogames to doing well in school
- Stay up late the night before an exam
- Yes, even if you have to study, sleep is better
- Be texting / facebooking when studying unless you plan on spending roughly 3x the study time
- Make plans to go out or spend time unless you’ve made plans for schoolwork
- Be embarrassed to use your resources!
- I know what kind of pressure it is to avoid asking for help, but Wentworth did not intend for you to ask for help, we would not have to search so hard for our staff, and nor would we have learning labs or the learning center. The benefits way outweigh the awkwardness.
- Ignore emails, blackboard, or piazza
- I know my professors communicate in a lot of different ways, and sometimes it is frustrating to have to check all of the different mediums, especially when they send something I am not really interested in. Chances are, the professor is sending that information because students can benefit from it, so at least skimming it is probably a good idea.
Staying out of trouble has always left me with nowhere to go but up. This list was based on retrospective advice compiled from my family, friends, professors, pre-college teachers, and my own experience. Hope you enjoy!