While many individuals may think that a course taken during the Winter Semester is like “any other college course” during the Fall or Spring Semester, they are actually extremely incorrect. Winter Semester Courses are a series of smaller courses, typically online/hybrid and optional for students to take, that range from about two to three weeks in length, meaning that these courses teach a lot of information in a shorter amount of time. Students taking Winter Semester Courses reading this might think: “Oh my! How am I going to survive these classes?” However, the solution is quite simple! Here are some tips and pieces of advice to aid students taking classes within the Winter Semester.
Tip #1 and #2 : Get Organized and Start Planning!
One of the biggest factors involved in succeeding with your Winter courses is proper organization and planning! Going into your Winter Semester, make sure to outline what your priorities are and what the course load of each class will look like from day-to-day or week-to-week. After observing the amount of work you will hold within the class, it is also extremely important to utilize that workload and outline exactly how much time you will need to spend on the course everyday/every week. Doing this will show you exactly what you need to do to manage your time with the course, but also maintain good grades within your course as well. Also, before you really indulge in the content of the course, look to yourself for answers: How do you study best? Is it writing down all of your notes? Or relistening to lectures? Find what works best for you and utilize it to your fullest advantage. Lastly, one of my personal favorite tips for maintaining organization and proper planning is to invest in an agenda. These little notebooks are your friends! They provide you with sufficient space to plan out every step of your day and week, which is an amazing resource to utilize with these shorter classes (but also just college in general!).
Tip #3 and #4: Get Engaged and Be Ready to Learn!
Lastly, one of the most important steps while taking a Winter Semester Course is, of course, engagement and learning. Learning and engagement with your course goes far beyond just the simple completion of assignments, it is taking time to observe the material, memorize it, and utilize it. To do this properly while taking online/hybrid courses, there are many ways you can go about doing so. For example, one of the biggest ways to do so is asking questions. Engage with your professor, engage with your classmates, and don’t be afraid to not know the answer to something; however, also don’t be afraid to find out the answer! Through asking questions within your course, you will be able to not only become more knowledgeable about the subject of the course, but also it allows you to connect with your professor/class, even though it may be behind a screen. Connecting with your professor and peers is also a great way to thrive within your winter courses at college. These formed connections allow you to more confidently rely on an individual when needing assistance; for example, contacting your professor for office hours to aid your performance, or starting a study group with your fellow classmates!
All-in-All, while the short timeframe of the Winter Semester may be ominous, you are set with all of the tools necessary to succeed. You just have to remain committed, organized, and engaged with your learning to succeed. To all of the Winter Semester Students out there, take this semester by the reins and thrive! You got this!
By Alex Brasberger