Just like that, the holidays have come to a close.
Whether your school’s second semester starts in a couple of days or a couple of months from now, one thing is clear: preparation is key.
We all know how disastrous the first semester of classes turned out so it definitely wouldn’t hurt to make yourself as equipped as possible ahead of a new set of academic challenges.
Staying true to our #NotJustPlay motto, the AcadArena gang came up with some tips to help you start the new semester on the right track:
Wrap up your holiday games
The Steam Winter Sale had some insane deals so we can’t really blame you. Who in their right mind would pass up on Triple A games at a quarter of their regular price, right?
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and finishing your single-player campaigns before school resumes will do your concentration a world of good.
If you got Cyberpunk 2077, well, you can convince yourself that it wouldn’t hurt to put the game indefinitely on hold until most of the bugs have been ironed out. Delayed gratification.
Examine your course syllabus
Admit it, you’re the kind of person that loses the course syllabus as soon as the professor hands it over.
Things are almost exclusively digital this time around so the course syllabus is usually sent over email. Please don’t lose it this time.
Taking the time to sync it with Google Calendar (or Notion, if you’re feeling fancy) will help you keep track of upcoming deadlines and exams, which may come up clutch one way or another.
Got a long exam scheduled for Monday? You might probably want to pass on this month’s Wild Rift Aces tournament. Studies first, man.
Set up a Discord server with your classmates
I’m sure you’ve heard of “no man is an island,” but are you familiar with the equally famous saying “college is hell so you’re going to need all the help you need if you want to graduate on time”?
Understanding your lessons pre-COVID in face to face classes was hard enough as it is, what more when they’re taught over a computer monitor?
Trying times are when the spirit of camaraderie shines the brightest and a Discord server with your classmates will be the medium through which that camaraderie shines through!
Not only can you make different channels to promote organized discussions on specific subjects, you can even dedicate a voice channel for gaming comms during your downtime.
Just make sure the acad server doesn’t turn into a gaming server halfway through the semester, though.