Students reflect on ways to prepare for their winter workload
By AMBER WARNKE — features@theaggie.org
As winter quarter enters full swing, students adjust to their schedule changes while looking forward to all that the new year has in store. Some students find that, similar to the New Year’s resolutions they may have just set, setting goals for the quarter can help them prepare for their new classes.
However, some may not know where to start. The first thing that can help is looking back on past quarters and pinpointing what could be improved upon in the future, according to Melissa Clinton, a 2024 UC Santa Barbara alumna with a Bachelor’s of Science (B.S.) degree in communication. Clinton reflected on the ways she benefited from the same quarter system UC Davis runs on when she was in school.
“With the quarter system, I really liked having that fresh start every time — every 10 weeks — where it’s like, okay, if something went bad last quarter, then I want to improve in other ways in this quarter,” Clinton said. “If I skipped class a lot last quarter, or didn’t take class that seriously, then next quarter, I can plan to do better.”
In addition to figuring out what needs to be improved upon, students can benefit from creating an actionable plan on how they will achieve their academic goals. For instance, students who slept through classes during fall quarter can plan to set reminders on their phones for an earlier bedtime this quarter. Students who passed on going to office hours in fall can write office hours into their planner, and students who failed to take detailed notes in fall can challenge themselves to take one full page of notes every day of class in winter.
Clinton also noted that staying on track with the fast pace of the quarter system is just as important as setting large goals.
“For me at least, once I stopped doing something — like if I didn’t do my reading that week — then I would just stop doing my readings all around,” Clinton said. “So, just keeping that consistency, that motivation that you have at the beginning of the quarter throughout the whole quarter, can be really helpful.”
In order to stick to clearly-defined goals, students may find it helpful to set weekly or monthly benchmarks that can help them stay on track with coursework, according to Clinton. Students might create a checklist of their weekly assignments, give themselves a treat at the end of the week if they meet their goal of getting everything done on time or ask a friend to be an accountability partner and text them throughout the quarter asking if they’ve done all their assignments.
Luca Stevens, a second-year marine and coastal science major, also plans on staying on top of their coursework in winter quarter, with their goal of starting all their assignments at least one day before they are due. For Stevens, what helps the most with staying on track is being intentional about when and where they study.
“I like to do my homework in-between classes if I have time,” Stevens said. “I feel like if I’m on campus, I get it done; whereas at home, I take a nap.”
Monica Willsey, a 2023 alumna with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in international relations, reflected on her time at UC Davis. Willsey offered some advice to current students on how to set goals that are feasible.
“Start with something small and doable that way you can work up to [it],” Willsey said. “If you’re not able to accomplish or meet a big goal, you’re going to feel bad about yourself and then you’re not going to get anywhere.”
Breaking a larger goal down could be as simple as breaking down an essay into paragraphs and assigning each paragraph to be completed on a certain day of the week, rather than trying to complete it all the night before it is due. Or, if a student’s goal is to do better on tests in winter quarter, instead of aiming for 100% on every exam, they could challenge themselves to go to office hours before every exam and spend at least two hours studying for the test every day the week before, according to Willsey.
However, Willsey also reminds students to be gentle to themselves as they navigate the start of the quarter, which can often be a time of stress and adjustment for students.
“Don’t be all critical of yourself; we’re only human,” Willsey said. “Just ask yourself: “What is one small thing I can do today?’”
Written by: Amber Warnke — features@theaggie.org
