Tips and Tricks to Set Up for a Great Semester

Exhilaration, anxiety, debilitating fear, or maybe immense joy might be some of your feelings going into your first week! I know I definitely felt that way my first week, but I managed to calm my anxieties and set myself up for a successful semester.  I tend to be an extremely organized person; I like to write down and plan out everything from mapping out my class locations to meeting my classmates.  I always purchase a planner before each fall semester and with that I am able to plan my semester out from week one.

Mapping Out Your Schedule

Before your first Monday in college, I suggest you take a map and walk to where each of your classes are.  The hardest thing about Penn State is just how big it is and that makes it tough between classes if you do not know where you are going.  By giving yourself plenty of time to walk around campus and explore you will reduce any chances of getting lost between class changes.

Planners, Calendars, or General Reminders

For each class you spend a little bit of time going through the syllabus.  I always take each syllabus and mark on my calendar when each exam is during the semester. This allows me to know ahead of time if I have two exams in the same week or if I need to study ahead for an exam on a Monday because there is the white out game that Saturday.  By using a calendar to mark out important events such as home football games, exams, career fairs, club activities (WEP Wednesday), and other fun events you would like to attend during the semester you are able to see what days you are free to study.   Besides writing out the exam days from the syllabuses I also list all office hours for when it is needed in the future.

I always use a planner where I can physically write things out, but you can always print out a calendar from online to use, or there are various apps you are able to use on your phone.  My favorite app is google calendar, this is because it is easy to set up special dates that you can set up for the whole semester.  You can also use google calendar to link up with your clubs.  

Meeting Your Classmates and Professors

The last great tip I have to do during your first week is to introduce yourself to the person you sit next to in class and your professors.  By talking to the person next to you, you will be able to exchange numbers with them.  Having a classmate’s number in each of your classes allows you to be able to ask them questions if you happen to miss a class or to help you study for exams.  You can even suggest they come to office hours with you because you share the same professor.  

By introducing yourself to your professor he or she will take note that you are trying to form a relationship with them.  This can come in handy when you need a letter of recommendation.  It also makes it easier and less awkward when you go to their office hours.

Overall as long as you organize your life you will set yourself for a great semester, and you will do more than survive in college you will thrive!

By: Sarah Maslakowski

What I Learned from Transitioning to College

            Not everyone is great at managing changes in their lives; some people, like myself, struggle to transition into new environments.  College was a huge change!  Challenging and bewildering all at the same time, I thought I was ready and would conquer college like a boss, but I realized very fast that college was completely different from my expectations.  I will admit that it took me the entire first semester to really get a handle on college life and academics.  There are multiple things, that if given the opportunity, I would have gone back and done differently.

The First Day

            I started off day one at college a nervous wreck, very unsure, and very overwhelmed, luckily I can now look back on that day and laugh at how silly I was acting.  There were so many things I wish I would not have worried about such as: switching classes all on the first day, getting my text books that very first day, thinking I needed to do all the homework instantly, and stressing out about bad professors.  I will attest to anyone that you do not need to go into day one thinking that everything needs to be accomplished in the here and now, this is not high school.  Most professors may give out work that’s due by the end of the week, but it is very common that they will accept it past the ‘due’ date.  This is because people are switching out of classes all the way into the following week.  With that said you should not worry about switching into different classes late into the first week; it is no big deal just introduce yourself to the professor and tell them your circumstances.  Another word of advice, take what people say about a professor with a grain of salt because what might not work for someone may work for yourself. Go into that first day with confidence and if you find you are overwhelmed, take it easy that night and do something that makes you happy and relaxed, like Netflix or going for a run.

 The First Month

            That first month is when you start learning the ropes on your own.  Your family is not in your day to day life, and you find yourself becoming your sole responsibility.  You become responsible for a variety of different things, for me it was simply living on my own and adjusting to college academics. I was able to handle taking care of myself, I would workout often, eat healthy, do my laundry.  I found out that the best way to make friends was to never force it but let the unexpected happen.  It was different being away from my family but day by day I learned that I could handle myself away from home.  What ended up being the hardest transition that first month was the academic side of college, which I thought would have been my strong suit.  To put it simply college academics is completely different from high school.  I did not keep a schedule of what I accomplished every day, therefore I did not know how many hours I was really putting into my classes.  I learned after my first exam how important it was for an engineering student to keep a daily schedule of what they are going to do.  I printed out my schedule from elion (lionpath) and filled it out every Sunday with upcoming meetings, homework, exams, workouts, and meal times.  By sticking to this schedule every week I was able to handle my classes and my social life with so much less anxiety.  It is prudent that you start good habits from the beginning to ensure you do not dig yourself into a hole that will hurt you academically.

The First Semester

            Before I knew it my first semester was over!  All the anxiety about my grades, handling finals, surviving my first semester were completely gone.  I had such a sense of accomplishment and pride.  I survived my first semester without dropping any classes, with new friends at my side, and a little more knowledge about college life.  Transitioning into something new can be really hard at first but you have to let time play out so you are able to adjust to your new environment.  As one of my favorite quotes go, ‘You are not truly living until you live outside your comfort zone’.  So let college be a metaphor to the transition in your life and in so doing you will find that you can truly live outside your comfort zone and still succeed.

Sarah Maslakowski is a sophomore majoring in Chemical Engineering and is a Rover for WEPO'16!