Evaluating your Semester

Don’t wait until the end of the semester to evaluate your academic progress. It is important to take a look at your standing in each course while you still have time to make some improvements. Halfway through the semester, when mid-term exams are over and grade warnings have been distributed, is a good time to take stock of yourself as a learner. Even if you did not receive any warnings, you should check in with your professors for an honest appraisal of your work. Too often students misconstrue their professors’ expectations and are shocked when their grades do not turn out as well as they had anticipated.

1.  Fill out evaluation sheets:

  • Identify your strengths and weaknesses. What are your problem areas in each of your courses? How can you overcome those problems?

2. Handling D/F warnings – talk to your professors; what can you do to improve? Should you drop this course? Should you think about taking an incomplete in this course? Do you have a legitimate reason for requesting an incomplete?

3.  Start exam preparation:

  • Identify what will be on exams
  • Begin to organize the information…make study sheets, flash cards etc.
  • Where are the gaps in your information? Fill these in through talks with professors and other students, and by referring to your texts
  • Start reviewing, a little each day
  • What else do you need to do (papers, projects, outside readings, journals etc.) at the end of the semester - start setting priorities

4.  Look at time management for the end of the semester

  • Where do you study? When do you study? Are you using the weekends and daytime hours to study? Are you allowing sufficient time to organize your notes? Remember that you will need to do concentrated time management, allowing yourself less time for recreational activities, if you want to be thoroughly prepared for your exams.