Getting Ahead of the Semester

By Alex Bolten

As a new semester begins at Purdue, it’s important to make sure that you are keeping up with your schedule. You don’t want to fall behind this early on. You’ll be busy with classes, extracurricular activities, group work, and your friends. You need to make sure that you know all of your deadlines and that you’re not going to miss an assignment or something like that.

Here are some tips for staying ahead of the game:

·      Mark up your calendar with important due dates. Color code different things based on what they are, i.e., red ink for exams, black for team meetings, etc. Keep this in a place where you’ll look at it everyday so that you never miss an important date.

·      Use a mortar board to keep handy dates with you on-the-go. Use a clip to save your place on the current week and move it when a new week is over. Write down homework assignments when you’re given them so that they’re all in one place and you don’t forget to do them.

·      Make a checklist of your assignments for the week and cross them off once they’re finished. Chances are, you’ll probably be given a schedule in your syllabus of assignments and when they’re due. Make a new checklist at the beginning of the week so you know what’s due and when.

·      Start later assignments early. Sure, that paper isn’t due until October 5^th and it’s only September 2^nd, but October will be here sooner than you think. It’s better to start thinking about that paper or assignment now when you have free time as opposed to waiting until the night before. Starting early increases your chances for a better grade and allows you to get help if you need it. Plus, the night before the assignment, you won’t be pulling an all-nighter to get your work done.

Follow these tips to ensure that you start the semester off right. While these may not all work for you, don’t be afraid to experiment. That’s the only way that you’ll be able to figure out what truly works for you.