Rest and reflect

Congratulations! You made it through the term.

You put in the hours of study, the effort of working hard, the time doing all of the things you had to do instead of the things you wanted to do and now you get a break. Rest, relax, recharge, reconnect and enjoy yourself during this downtime. You deserve it. While you are home with those you love and away from the immediate pressures and distractions of campus life, you might also want to take some time to reflect. The whirlwind of the term probably didn’t give you much time to breathe and think about how things were going, but the break between terms is a perfect time to get grounded, learn from the past and plan for the future.

The good, the bad and the ugly

What went well this past term? Did you have a good study routine? Did you enjoy the classes you took? Did you have a study group you enjoyed working with? What learning strategies worked well for you? What were your biggest wins? What are you proud of? Which accomplishments are not reflected on your transcript, but still feel important to you?

What did you enjoy about the classes you took? Which topics did you find interesting? What did you enjoy about each class – the readings, the labs, the professor’s teaching style, the topic of your research project?

What didn’t go well this past term? Did you not enjoy a class or two? Were you distracted by too many competing demands and unable to focus? Were your relationships with your friends not supportive? What were your biggest struggles?

What did you not enjoy about the classes you took? Was the workload overwhelming? Did your class schedule not work for you? Did you not have the background skills you needed to keep up?

Now is the time to brainstorm ways to include more of what went well and what you liked into your plan for next term and to determine how you can minimize, avoid or fix the pain points. Do you need to change your class schedule for next term? Is your major not working out as well as you hoped? Is your living situation not working for you? Do you need to add or drop some extra-curricular activities?

You are allowed to change your mind – about your friends, about your major, about your school, about what your goals are and how you pursue them. In fact, I highly encourage you to learn from your early college experiences and adjust your path to fit your needs. College is all about learning – not only learning from textbooks and professors, but also learning about yourself, what your interests are, where your talents lay and who you are. Flexibility and adaptability are some of the most valuable skills you can learn in college. If something isn’t working, try a different approach or an entirely new path. Be flexible enough to do find the way that works for you.

Campus resources

Which campus resources did you use this term? Does your campus have a writing center? Student success advisors, academic coaches or mentors? Free tutoring? Teaching assistants with recitations? Professors with office hours? Student mental health counselors? Sports and clubs? An honors program?

Looking back on the term, which of these resources could have helped you be more successful? Do you know how to connect with these resources? How could you find out how to connect with them? Which would you consider using next term if you encounter the same challenges you did in your last term?

Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. Struggling with the challenges of college life does not mean that you aren’t smart enough, talented enough, strong enough, or confident enough to be there. Just the opposite! Asking for help because you are struggling shows that you are making the most of your college experience, that you are ambitious enough to reach past what you are currently capable of to learn new things and make yourself a better person, and that you are self-aware enough to know when you can’t do it all yourself. How will you ever know what you are capable enough if you never pursue things which are beyond your current reach? And how will you ever achieve those ambitious goals without the help and expertise of others who have walked that path before you.

Self-care and mental health

What did you do this term to take care of your physical health? Were you able to find healthy food options? Were those options convenient and affordable enough that you took advantage of them consistently? Did your meal plan work for you? Did you get enough sleep? Were your living conditions conducive to rest and to study? Did you get regular exercise? How could you incorporate more movement into your days?

What did you do this term to take care of your mental health? Did you frequently feel stressed or overwhelmed? What did you do to mitigate your stress? Are you feeling anxious or depressed? Were you able to take regular restorative breaks from school work to recharge? Did you have a supportive group of friends who you felt comfortable talking to about your stresses? Did you take advantage stress management resources provided by your campus?

What changes could you make next term to ensure that you are physically and mentally healthy enough to perform at your peak? It can feel like you don’t have time to take care of yourself when you are in the midst of the demands of a full course load and a busy social schedule. Who has time for sleep?!? Good physical and mental health make everything else you do as a student easier while poor health can make it nearly impossible to keep up. Making the time to take care of yourself can make all the difference in the world.

Need help?

If you know that you need to make some changes, but you aren’t sure how to get started coaching might be a good idea for you. Check out my services page and book a free consultation. I’d love to help you find your best path forward.