Featured Student: Preparing for the Semester

Hello again!

I don’t know about you all, but school starts here at K-State just TWO WEEKS from today! In honor of the beginning of a new semester, I thought I’d share some tips and suggestions to help you get prepared.

• Get a planner. And use it! A planner can be an absolute life saver if you actually utilize it. If you’re an upperclassman, you already know that college is quite a bit different than high school. You’re time is more unstructured since you aren’t in school for a solid 8 hours per day and you have to motivate yourself to stay on top of studying, readings, etc. In fact, I am such a strong believer in the power of the properly used planner that I’m going to do a whole post on it next week!
• Walk through your schedule. This tip is especially beneficial for freshmen, but I would be lying if I said I hadn’t gotten lost on campus during the first few days of class as a sophomore or junior! Often, I’ll see that I know where all the buildings are and think that is sufficient. Then, 5 minutes before class starts on the first day, I’m frantically searching for the actual room! If nothing else, you can find the quickest route between buildings before having 10 minutes between actual classes to find a good route. At least bring a printed copy of your schedule the first few days because I have also thought I knew the room number for my class only to find that it was a closet or office!
• Check your course websites. I’m pretty sure most campuses have websites where you access all of your course info, grades, etc. I often start checking week or two before classes start to see if my professors have posted a syllabus or anything yet. This way, you can see what books are required for the course and start hunting down the best deals, as well as getting started on any assignments that may be due the first day. There’s nothing worse than walking in on the first day of class to a quiz over a reading that you didn’t know was supposed to be done before class! Even if there is something that isn’t due the first day, it will help greatly if you can get a head start on it when you don’t have as much on your plate. I know. It’s still summer, but you’ll be glad you’re ahead of the game when the due date rolls around!
• Talk to others. If you get a chance, talk to other dietetics majors and see if they’ve already had any of the classes you’re enrolled in. They might be able to offer helpful tips, like if you really need to purchase the textbook or if the teacher cancels class on Fridays. These are good things to know to help save you time and money or help plan your work schedule.
• Join clubs and organizations. The beginning of a new semester is a great time to join a new club or organization. These are a great way to get involved and meet other dietetics majors or people who have similar interests as you. College campuses are a great place to try new things or meet other people who are also interested in running, lacrosse, philosophy, books, politics, chess…I’ve even seen a skydiving club! If you join a dietetics organization, you’ll be able to learn a lot about the profession, meet fellow future dietitians, network with current dietitians, get to know some of your professors better, and gain experience for your resume.

These are just a few tips to get you started on the right foot this semester. It’s so important to enjoy these last few weeks of summer before the craziness begins, but don’t forget to do a little planning ahead so you aren’t caught off guard when classes do start. Don’t forget to check back next week as I share about getting a good planner and how to utilize it. I honestly don’t think I would get by without it some days! See you next week!