Creating A Successful Semester In College

Beginning college can be an exciting, but very intimidating time in our lives. There are many questions that you may be asking yourself: what do I want to be when I grow up, how do I know what classes to take, when is the college offering these classes, and how long will this take me? To answer all of the questions you may have, and to start a successful semester in college, there is one thing specifically that you will need to accomplish. You will need to create an education plan.
An education plan is a map that gives students direction to our long term goals. It will guide you step-by-step in deciding which classes to take each semester to accomplish your major. The first step to creating an education plan is to contact the counseling department
at your college and make an appointment with a counselor. Prior to arriving at your appointment, you will want to make a list of questions, and concerns that you have come up with. When meeting with your counselor make sure to mention anything that you are involved in that consumes your time like work, kids, and volunteer hours.
It is very important to let your counselor know these types of things, so that you do not overload your schedule with many obstacles that you eventually become overwhelmed. When arriving at your appointment remember that your counselor is there to help, and is very eager to do so. He or she will begin by asking you if you have a specific major in mind, or if you are just interested in completing general education courses at this time. Your counselor will talk about different kinds of majors that will fit with your interests. Then he or she will provide you with a catalog that explains which classes are needed for your major, and ways to accomplish your goals. He or she may also mention certificates that are achievable, and would look great on a job resume. I happened to notice that most of the college classes that were needed to achieve these certain certificates of interest, where courses that I also needed to take for my long term goal already. My counselor instructed me that when choosing classes, it is important to choose ones that strike your interest if possible because this will help keep you focused in those courses. After going over all of your class choices that you will need for
graduation, your counselor will then build you a semester-by-semester guide for you to follow. Before leaving your appointment it is important to make sure you have asked all questions you may have had, and gotten clear answers to all of them. Walking out of your appointment you should feel relief and a sense of excitement to start your journey. Remember, it is important to keep your education plan up to date and accurate because you want to make sure you are continuing on the right path. Your education plan is not just a piece of paper; it gives you balance semester after semester, pointing you in the direction of success.