Today marks the middle of the fall 2018 semester. Students should take this time to familiarize themselves with upcoming deadlines and consider upcoming decisions about their academic future.
The first half of the semester may seem to pass by slowly with nearly 40 week days worth of classes. Eight weeks have gone by and just seven more remain until final exams and the end of the semester. Students may be wrapped up in midterms, projects and homework but they also need to be aware of all the deadlines and important dates that roll around after the halfway point.
Professors are required to have mid-semester grades uploaded by noon today so that students can see where they stand in the class. Some might decide that they’ve worked hard this first half of the semester and can afford to relax a bit. Others might need to step up their game to pass or get the grade that they want.
Students should prepare for the second half of semester by deciding how they’re going to proceed with classes. This could mean continuing to do the same level of work they’ve been doing or take more initiative. As exams approach students should consider going in to get tutoring help or discuss with their professors how they can continue to succeed and improve in their classes. There are office hours for professors and other tutoring services on campus to help students.
The middle of the semester gives students a chance to evaluate how their semester is going. For some it might mean realizing that they’re studying something that they are genuinely interested in. Other times it can be a wake up call if you’re putting in an immense amount of effort and time into a class and still not seeing a passing grade. There are classes in various majors that are considered weed-out classes. They may be particularly difficult, hoping to separate out students who are adept at studying the material from those who may not be as invested in the course. If you’re taking one of these classes and hoping to continue on with a major that pertains to them make sure you’re prepared to finish out the semester strong.
Another option available to students is talking with an advisor if you’re struggling with classes. Starting next week students will have the opportunity to meet with advisors to discuss what courses they want to take during the spring 2019 semester. It’s a great time to discuss what options are available for adding a minor, removing a concentration or changing majors.
As we get ready to launch into the second half of the semester students should take a little time to reflect on the past eight weeks, consider what they want to do for the spring semester courses and make a plan for the remaining weeks of this semester.
