Greetings, students, and welcome back for another school year! Many of us here in the Digilent engineering office are preparing to rejoin the academic world. However, before we do, we wanted to share a few more tips and tricks to help you survive your first week of class.
Success may seem easy during the first few weeks, but without proper attention to certain details, your whole semester can quickly derail. With these summarized tips from a few of our interns, we present our guide to gloriously vanquishing your the first week (and maybe entire semester) of school.
Tip 1: Invest in a Planner
Success in classes and projects can often be defined by good organization and communication skills. Investing in a planner can help immensely when dealing with fickle deadlines or unexpected assignments. During the first week of classes you can gain the most benefit from your planner by writing down all assignments, tests, and quizzes found in your syllabus. Take care not to over complicate your schedule, as this may cause significant stress and discourage further use of your planner down the road.
Tip 2: Introduce Yourself
As you work towards your future career, we cannot stress enough the importance of peer and professor connections. While you can expect to encounter a few personal differences with some peers, making the best connection possible can improve future job and internship opportunities. Getting to know your professors is another great way to access your industry. Attending college presents networking opportunities with past students and industry professionals, many of whom have longstanding relationships with your professors. Take advantage of these possibilities by introducing yourself early and maintaining a good reputation as you advance through classes.
Tip 3: Build a Study Group
While some students may find studying alone easier than working with a group, finding a study group can present many benefits. Understanding your peers’ learning styles and academic strengths can help you build an effective group that benefits all involved. Targeting individuals who have alternative strengths gives you the opportunity to overcome your weaknesses while coaching others through theirs. Using multiple study groups or switching up what does not work effectively one semester can also build your peer network. You never know which classmates will be become lifelong friends or business references until you make these connections.
Tip 4: Be Attentive
The first week of class is an excellent opportunity to be attentive and build a positive classroom reputation. Setting up a proper sleep schedule to ensure you are well rested will boost your attentiveness and give you the necessary energy for better study habits. Taking notes in class and asking relevant, helpful questions also portrays professionalism, which never hurts your future career desires. Working harder to become more attentive in class can only improve your reputation and help start your year off right.
Tip 5: Remedy the Summertime Blues
Our last tip for your first week of school is to indulge (to some extent) in remedying your inevitable summertime blues. When your previous summer freedom is revoked for responsibility, you may need to schedule fun activities into your amended schedule. Finding a hobby that relates to your future goals is a wonderful way to view academics more favorably. Hobbies that brighten your attitude and help improve your career skills work to seamlessly blend personal and professional worlds, making your goals easier to reach.
By following our first week tips we hope you start your semester well prepared for the year ahead. Until then, happy studies!
