Call it what you want, but last semester you just plain screwed up. Your head wasn’t in the game, you had something going on that was obviously more important than your schoolwork, be it drama with friends, a significant other, or just woes of the future.
One may have used winter break to recuperate and lick their wounds over a semester gone awry, and one of your New Years’ resolutions might have been to reevaluate your school situation and try to get yourself back on the right track. There’s always a way to redeem yourself, with a little focus, dedication, and finding the motivation from somewhere deep within you to turn it around and make this half of the year a better one.
If your report card in the winter was less than stellar, there’s no way to turn back the clock and change it; what has happened has happened, and the only way to move on is to take a breath and rededicate yourself to your studies.
Your GPA will have probably taken a hit, but at least you are given another chance to bring it back up this spring. Spend more time in study-oriented spaces, and do not allow yourself to procrastinate. It will be really hard to keep your head in the game, even at the beginning of the semester, but that backslide can be a slippery one.
Use small rewards to motivate yourself and turn your dedication into a habit you can’t escape. Keep in contact with professors about your grades too, that way you and he/she can work together to smooth over any bumps you may face.
One of the reasons your grades might have suffered was because you spend a little too much time “socializing with friends”, whether alcohol was involved or not. Having fun and letting loose on the weekends is one thing, going out more nights than you are staying in is not. If your partying and/or drinking have started to get out of hand, talk to someone about it or have a close friend keep tabs on you.
Take baby steps by just staying in a few nights a week, getting your homework in when you feel the most motivated and then you can allow yourself to have fun when all your work is done. It’s obvious that having fun and being independent is one of the best things about college, but it’s also a big responsibility we take on to be accountable for ourselves.
You may still be wincing from the disappointment or embarrassment you faced last semester, but there’s nothing that says a second chance can’t turn that all around. Be sure to count your blessings and be proud and happy that you are still in school, and making the most of it will help to right some of the wrongs you made in the past.
Image: Motivating words
