With spring break now behind us, there are just a couple weeks left for the 2025 spring semester. Motivating yourself to end the semester strong can be quite difficult. However, it is imperative to do so, as finals are coming up. To assist with this dilemma, here are five activities you can do to lock in for the second half of this semester.
Go to office hours
Office hours are specific times that professors set aside outside of the classroom in order to meet with any students who have issues, concerns, questions or just want to chat. This opportunity allows students to take advantage of one-on-one time to tackle specific academic issues and build a connection with your instructor.
If you are not doing as well in the course as you would like, attending office hours can show your professor that you care about your performance in the class and are willing to put in extra time to improve. To find your professors’ office hours, check the syllabus or email your professor.
Reserve a study room in the Thomas Cooper Library
We all know that studying is essential for getting good grades in college. The Thomas Cooper Library is the most popular place on campus for students to study, whether with friends or alone. Sometimes it can be difficult finding a table because of the library's popularity. To avoid this, reserve a study room at the Thomas Cooper Library to guarantee a quiet space for you to study.
Depending on your group, you can book large or small study rooms. You can also reserve what is known as a “tech coop”, which is a small study place that fits three to five people, and displays a screen and a whiteboard. To reserve a study room, go to the university website and check out the library services section where you can find the page for reserving a study room.
Make an appointment with your academic adviser
Most students are required to see their academic advisers at least once a semester to plan out courses for the following semester. While you are able to bring up other concerns or questions during this meeting, you can also meet with your adviser multiple times throughout the semester.
Advisers can offer you resources for internships and research opportunities. These meetings can also provide you ways to connect with your professor to help you perform better in your courses. Simply email your academic adviser for a meeting or drop by their department building on campus.
Go to tutoring
As part of the Student Success Center in the Thomas Cooper Library, there is peer tutoring available to all students. These tutors are undergraduate students who received at least a B+ in the course they are tutoring for. Tutoring in classes you are struggling with can help you understand the course material better as you will have a fellow student explain topics to you in ways that perhaps your professor cannot.
Tutoring can be done one on one or it can be done in groups via supplemental instruction (SI).
To attend tutoring, schedule an appointment through their website or attend drop-in tutoring by the scheduled times listed on the university website.
Make an appointment with the Career Center
While not directly related to the courses you take during the academic year, the Career Center offers a litany of student services that can aid you in preparing for summer jobs. These appointments can help alleviate anxiety about finding internships and post-college careers, which will lessen the burden that students feel they have during the semester with their course work.
The center can help students write a resume for jobs and internships, aid in finding careers, preparing students for interviews and helping students in discovering what kind of career they want. This can include taking advantage of things such as career coaching and assessment tools.
They can also help you strengthen your professional profile in ways that classes will not be able to. If the goal of college is to find a well-paying job, then making an appointment with the Career Center is a good place to start that journey. You can find all the resources and tools that the Career Center offers on the university’s website.
By doing these five activities, you will be able to maximize results for the time and effort you put into your academic coursework and ensure that you conclude the semester strong.