Advising and the post-spring break crunch…

Well, it is that time of year again. Advising week is upon us, and registration is beginning, and on top of it all professors are realizing that there is about a month of productive time left in the semester. I remember the feeling of anxiety that I had last year when faced with the challenge of an increased workload coupled by registration stress. There are many things that I wish I had known last semester, and I hope that I can convey them here, so that you do not make the same mistakes that I did.

Whether you like your advisor or not, it is always helpful to meet with them in person if at all possible. In addition, it is helpful to go into an advising session with a plan in mind. I usually start by looking at my degree works account, which can be accessed by clicking the degree evaluation link under student records on the student portal of WyoWeb. Here I can see all of the classes that I have taken, and all of the classes that I still need to take, including when those courses are offered. I then create a plan of courses I think I should take, and I bring it with me to my advising session. This allows my advisor and me to discuss the merits the plan, and gives me insight into those classes. My advisor and I get along well with this system, but I understand that not everyone has the same relationship with their advisors. Despite this, I still encourage you to ask your advisor any questions that you have, because they can be a truly invaluable resource. In addition, I also think that it’s a good idea to seek other sources of advice. Sometimes, the direction indicated by your advisor may not be the best fit for you, so it is ok to approach other professors that you trust and ask them for their opinion. I think this is especially helpful because it allows you to pick your courses in a way that doesn’t leave you dependent on the advice of one person. This method of preparing for advising takes a lot of time, and I know first-hand how difficult it can be to do this with a busy schedule.

The last few weeks of the semester following spring break always seem to be busier than any of the others. This is when papers are due, midterm exams are given, and the amount of content taught in class seems to increase exponentially. My best advice in this situation is to prepare early. If possible, try and finish any papers or projects at least a week before they are due. This allows you to edit them, and to put them out of your mind as you begin studying for exams. Also, to make finals easier, start spending a little bit of each day (maybe an hour at most) reviewing material from the beginning of the semester. That way, when dead week hits, you will be less stressed about cramming the material all at once. Different people have different methods of studying, but the key to doing well is to reduce stress as much as possible. Stress negatively impacts short term memory, so the combination of stress and cramming will prevent you from remembering all of the important information that you need to do well. Setting a little goal, such as spending 30 minutes a day reviewing old material, and reaching it will help to reduce stress as well as transfer material from your short term memory into your long term memory. And, at the end of the day, it is important to remember that you get out what you put in; a little extra effort can only help you in the end.

-Corinne Vaughan

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