Often, students who have studied for a while report that after they graduate they dream that they need to take a test at mid-term or turn in a final paper during finals week! I’ve had that happen and woken up dreading the fact that I slept through an imaginary final exam! Has something like that ever happened to you?
Here we are at the end of October and the Fall 2009 semester is rushing towards its end! It doesn’t seem so long ago that the semester stretched into the future, but now it’s easy to see that there is a beginning, a middle and an end. Once registration for the next semester
begins, we can’t ignore the fact that there is a lot to be accomplished in a short time and that each day counts! (So, keep your “to do” list nearby.)
Since every semester is made up of 16 weeks, it’s actually useful to train yourself to anticipate how that structure is repeated. At the beginning of each semester, I make a calendar that fits on one page so that I can visualize the weeks ahead as a whole. You can also view our Important Dates to get information about what’s ahead and see how semesters are scheduled. Even if you don’t think about this system, you may be learning it subconsciously.
Now is the time to reorganize and get answers if there is anything that you need to ask about a course. If you haven’t done so already, it’s also time to plan the rest of your semester day by day. If you need support, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Your instructors are eager to see you succeed, and there are friendly people at Colorado State Continuing Education to guide you through the process of achieving your learning objectives.
Speaking of support, Google Tricks That Will Save You Time in School can be really useful to online students as well as others. For example, if you are working on a paper, did you know that Google Scholar is a specialized search to get results from scholarly literature such as peer-reviewed papers, theses, and academic publishers? The site also has links to help you use Google to create calendars and “to do” lists along with lots of tips about shortcuts when using your computer and the internet.
Next week, if you happen to live in the Fort Collins/Loveland area, you can meet and network with professionals at the Business After Hours Event. This event will take place at the CSU Continuing Education Loveland Learning Center (2915 Rocky Mountain Ave., Suite 240 Loveland, CO 80538) where you can also learn about the professional development programs offered there. If you pay and register now, on November 5, you can participate in prize giveaways, meet Cam the Ram, and eat great food provided by On The Border. Don’t let the Loveland Chamber of Commerce website scare you off with its statement that “Business After Hours is a private party for Chamber members and their guests only.” As a Continuing Education student, YOU are invited to this gathering! To register for the Business After Hours event, visit the Loveland Chamber of Commerce website.
Right now you may feel that you have a lot to do, but try not to feel overwhelmed by the big picture. Just as the weeks in a semester add up to a whole, keeping up with your individual course requirements will lead to finishing the course. Each step that you take is important, and remember that Colorado State Continuing Education students just like you are successfully studying from all over the world. So, keep doing what you do — celebrate your efforts this semester, ask for help if you need it, and let us know how you are managing! What can we do to make your life as a student easier?
If you keep on going, you’ll always get somewhere!