It’s Fall semester and you have been on campus for almost a month. This could be your first time venturing out on your own or you may be a seasoned professional of the early semester hustle. Either way, you feel like something is missing. There could be more you want to tap into, but where could you start? Here are the top 5 tips to starting a new semester with successful exploration in mind-
1. Building the foundation of your routine
College is hard. Whether it be the classes you take, the internships or work study positions you gain or the clubs and organizations you are a part of, every semester holds a different routine. To get a handle on your time and task management techniques early in the semester will prove helpful through the busier moments. Once you make the time to build your google calendar or your class assignment spreadsheet, the more natural of a routine you can build and you will be able to gauge how much more you can take on.
Coach question: what could make my routine more regular?
2. Exploring your values
Values are key parts to our decision making and how we move through the world. Knowing more of what we value most can help us navigate our priorities. Prioritization also connects with routine building. We can have competing priorities- going to a networking mixer or going to tutoring hours. Both are important and can benefit your future but only you know which would be most important to you and that’s where exploring your values can come into play.
Coach questions: what do I value most? How does that affect the way I see opportunities?
3. Seeking out value added experiences
When your routine is stable, adding some leadership opportunities around your interests where you can gain as much value to your experiences is crucial. Take a work study desk attendant job. You may glance over that job initially but writing out a list of all the resume builders could help- customer service, problem solving, administrative tasks, project management, and the list goes on.
Coach questions: where is my value added in my current role? What about a new role?
4. Work/Life Balance
There will be peaks and valleys during your semester. You may take on too many responsibilities or have too much free time. We should always strive for a balance or a way to feel fulfilled without feeling burned out. If you are noticing you are constantly working and getting no breaks or if you have too much time you don’t know what to do, reach out to campus resources. They are there to help you find a balance that works for you.
Coach questions: what can I add or take away from my routine? How does this benefit me?
5. Reflection, growth & accountability
You may have noticed, I have given you some coaching questions to consider through your read. To grow and reach your fullest potential, some reflection is needed. The best reflection questions to ask yourself usually start with ‘what’ or ‘how.’ The last piece to this puzzle is accountability. We can hold ourselves accountable though it could be helpful to loop a friend, family member or staff/faculty from campus into your plan.
Coach questions: what have I learned about myself during this blog? What will I do next?
You still have time. There is an ability to still make this semester a memorable one filled with growth and exploration. What will you do with this new found information? How can you harness your momentum? I hope we get to see you make an appointment with a success coach to further explore your journey!
More about success coaching-Success Coaching is offered on campus to support student learning through personalized one-on-one coaching appointments. We focus our empowering questions on a students learning, who they are, and how they have experienced their academic journey. Success Coaches are trained to collaboratively work alongside a student to create an actionable success plan regarding a variety of academic success related topics. If the above blog speaks to something you want to explore further, make a success coaching appointment today at https://successcoaching.timetap.com
