It’s that time of year again! The fall semester is about to begin, and campuses are buzzing with the excited anticipation that a new academic year brings. Whether you’re a first-time college student, returning student, transfer student, or a student about to graduate — here are five proven steps you can take to set yourself up for one of the best semesters ever.
Set SMART Goals
Commonly attributed to Peter Drucker's Management by Objectives concept, the SMART system helps you create clear and reachable goals:
Make a list of specific, meaningful, and measurable goals for your semester that you can reasonably achieve within this limited timeframe. Make your goals relevant to your long-term career plans.
For example: “My goal is to achieve a 3.7 GPA this semester. To make this happen, I will block out 20 hours of study time every week and faithfully adhere to my schedule. I will create a separate binder for each of my classes that I will fill with thorough and organized notes, and I will review these materials before every test.”
Read your SMART goals every day to reinforce your commitment and hold yourself accountable for following through.
Get Organized
Find a weekly or monthly scheduling solution that works for you, whether it’s a digital app that helps you manage your class schedule, teacher contacts, and upcoming assignments and tests such as
Connect with Your Instructors
Be proactive about introducing yourself to your new professors. Drop in during office hours to ask questions about the course and share your academic and career goals. A warm relationship with your instructors goes a long way toward helping you be successful, not only in their courses but also down the road when you need a letter of recommendation for graduate school, a fellowship, or an internship.
Take Advantage of School Resources
In addition to familiarizing yourself with the free information available to you at the campus libraries, computer labs, career centers, and tutoring and writing centers, be sure to attend any orientations your school offers for new students.
Here at Geneva College, we devote several days to helping our new students feel welcome and require a semester-long Learning and Transitions course to fully acclimate them into college life. Our Center for Student Development plans exciting activities and learning opportunities during Welcome Week, giving both freshmen and transfer students a chance to connect to our community and transition into college life.
Returning Geneva students can benefit from hundreds of activities – from nationally known speakers to adventure fun – and dozens of clubs, but only if they take advantage of the opportunities.
Prioritize Your Health
Developing excellent self-care skills in college will help sustain you throughout your academic years and set a solid foundation on which you can build your future.
If you’d like to learn more about the biblically based, Christ-centered education at Geneva, we’d love to explore the possibilities with you. For more information on how Geneva College can help you pursue your career goals, please phone us at 855-979-5563 or email web@geneva.edu.
Opinions expressed in the Geneva Blog are those of its contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official position of the College. The Geneva Blog is a place for faculty and contributing writers to express points of view, academic insights, and contribute to national conversations to spark thought, conversation, and the pursuit of truth, in line with our philosophy as a Christian, liberal arts institution.
Aug 24, 2017
As a freshman student, it’s incredibly normal to feel like you are missing out sometimes. It’s what many call FOMO, the fear of missing out. So, here are a few tips for navigating this First Semester FOMO.
Geneva offers many resources to support students as they navigate their transition to college. Whether you are discerning your career path, noticing mental health concerns, trying to make friends, or struggling with schoolwork, Geneva offers resources to mitigate the challenges that students may face.
It can be difficult to live with a stranger while also adjusting to college life. Here are a few tips on how to optimize your life with your freshman roommate.
As new freshman arrive on campus for the fall semester, they experience a few days of orientation, which Geneva calls Welcome Week. This week is filled with fun activities, valuable seminars, and relationship-building opportunities. Learn more about what you can expect at this year's welcome week!
Kaylin Kingston '26 travelled to Memphis, Tennessee alongside several other students and staff to spend her Spring break in service to others. Read here to learn about her experience!
If you are not interested in sports, do not fear! Geneva has many opportunities on campus for those who are not athletically inclined. Here are some on-campus activities for you to pursue if you are not an athlete!
When looking for a college, a big question you must ask yourself is, do I want to live on campus? There are a lot of great reasons to live on campus. Read here to learn more!
As graduation approaches, do you find yourself ticking off boxes on your Geneva bucket list? Here are 9 things you should do before you graduate!
Small campuses come with a lot of benefits that students might not experience at a larger school. When choosing a school to attend, weighing the pros and cons can be really helpful, so here are some pros about attending a small school!
Sickness spreads quickly on college campuses. Here are a few tips to help you avoid catching a cold or virus!
Learn more about Geneva College.
Have questions? Call us at 724-847-6505.
© Geneva College | All rights reserved
Online Course Login
myGeneva Student Portal