7 Goals for the Semester

Ready…set… go! Make this semester your best one yet by creating concrete goals. These 7 are a great place to start:

1. Join a club
Have you been slacking in the extracurricular department? Well, now’s the time to get involved in a student club or organization. Many schools have an org fair at the start of each semester; check it out! You’ll be able to see all the organizations that are offered, and probably get some freebies too.  Who doesn’t want candy and free pens?  Anyways, getting involved is a constructive way to spend your time, and if you join the club that interests you the most, you’ll probably have a lot of fun!

2. Try something new
Obviously this a pretty broad category for goal-making.  Trying something new can be applied to something academic, social, sports-related, extracurricular, or anything else really.  Regardless of what you chose, as long as it’s constructive, trying something new will help broaden your horizons, give you a life experience, and maybe even give you a new passion.

3. Make a new friend
Try to really get to know someone outside your current circle of friends.  Maybe it’s someone in one of your classes, in a student club, or just someone sitting alone in the dining hall.  You can really never have too many friends.  This one can be especially good for the more shy people out there; it’ll feel good to put yourself out there and take a chance!

4. Keep up with class readings
When classes first begin, you’ll probably complete all assigned readings and highlight to boot!  But I think we all know that over time, it gets easier to slack off in the reading department.  If all that’s due for your next class is reading a couple chapters of your textbook, you shouldn’t interpret that as having no homework.  Keeping up with readings can be time-consuming, but it is essential in keeping up with course subjects.  If you don’t, you could find yourself feeling lost during lectures, and panicked the night before a big exam.  Missed readings can really stack up, so if you do them as they’re assigned, you’ll definitely be in much better shape.

5. Read non-assigned books
Try not to roll your eyes; I know it can be hard enough keeping up with assigned readings (as just mentioned above!).  But, it can be really satisfying and relaxing to read something outside of your academic duties.  Just because your genre of choice never gets covered in your classes doesn’t mean that you should sacrifice it.  Head to the bookstore, find a book you’d like to read, and don’t worry about not having time for it.  Even if it’s just a few pages before bed every night, reading for pleasure is a great way to escape the stress and unwind.

6. Get healthy
The often chaotic nature of college life is no excuse for letting your health slip.  Vow to really honor your health this semester.  This means eating right, exercising, and getting sufficient sleep.  Doing these simple things every day will become a habit, and you’ll feel a lot better from it.

7. Battle against procrastination
We all do a little procrastinating from time to time.  However, scribbling homework down before class and pulling all-nighters are not situations to be desired.  Make a goal this semester to beat procrastination down.  Try as best you can to complete assignments right when they’re assigned, when possible.  You’ll feel so much better with things out of the way, and you’ll avoid a lot of unneeded stress.

When all is said and done, preparing to be successful for the semester doesn’t end with a to-do list. GradGuard employees believe in having a positive outlook to help them achieve their goals.