Hello and how are you? This is not meant to be a corny opening, trying to get you to talk back to your screen. Rather, this is a very real moment of reflection for you to sit with your progress thus far: academically, physically, mentally, emotionally. How are you? Have you been reaching the goals that you had in mind for yourself at the start of the Spring 2024 semester?
If, like me, you said “pretty good so far, I think!” I would urge you to look at your closest calendar and mark Finals Week as beginning on Monday, April 29th. How are we doing now? Personally, that realization had me anxiously pacing my apartment, so I hope it did not have the same effect on you. Again, I’d like to make my intention clear: I do not want to panic you. Rather, I want to put into perspective just how close we are to wrapping up this semester!
Now that we’ve had our reality check moment and we have a full understanding that finals are three weeks from now, let’s start to think about how we can set ourselves up for success this year. I offer the following from my own personal archives of academic “I Wish I Would Have’s” that would have allowed me to be a thriving student AND also a thriving person who was doing her best to make it through her coursework:
- Reflected on how and when I prepped for finals the previous semester so that I could decide if I wanted to repeat those choices
- Skimmed through my existing notes for each class to mark what concepts I knew completely v. the ones I needed to focus on while studying
- Skimmed through my syllabi to ensure that I actually had all the content I needed in my existing notes
- Actually started studying a month in advance for 10 minutes a day per class, like I had set out to do
- Asked somebody to call me out on my crap (not studying in my allotted time, using my library time to troll the stacks and take Buzzfeed quizzes, leaning on the “my meeting went long so I need more me-time!” standby, etc.)
- Had the nerve to go all in (utilizing my study time, showing up to every class, completing the study guide before the night of the test, etc.) on my projects and tests
- Not lied to myself when I failed my projects/ tests about “the test not matching the study guide” or the instructor not being “clear with the directions”
Now, this is not to say that all of the above apply to you directly or that you aren’t holding yourself accountable. Rather, think of this as an open invitation to reflect on what would truly allow you to thrive during this round of finals v. habits you’ve had in the past that ultimately did not serve you and your goals.
Remember, you’re already doing the work to get where you want to be. You got this. And we believe in you completely here at the ASCC!
