5 Tips for Getting Back in Study Mode

Whew! You did it. The holidays are over and you made it through the craziness of Christmas and the excitement of New Year’s Eve. Now that your break is over, it is time to get back in study mode.

You are asking yourself, how do I get study mode back? There are many things you can do including finding ways to encourage yourself and working on developing effective study habits.

Let’s start with 5 simple tips:

1. Get organized.

   • This is the time to get everything together for your classes. Get your semester schedule and your work schedule if you are working while attending college.

2. Get informed.

   • Look at your university’s online system to check your bill, review your financial aid, and see if you have any balances left from last semester.

3. Get the semester calendar.

   • When is spring break? When are finals? When is the drop date for classes? Guess what? That information is already out there. You just have to find it. Go to your university’s website and look at the semester and academic calendar. It is often available on the Registrar’s page. At The University of Southern Mississippi, it is located at https://www.usm.edu/registrar under Academic Calendar. For graduate students, there is even a page dedicated to deadlines.

4. Get the word out.

   • If you are working, share your schedule with your boss. Let them know now what the semester calendar looks like. You can’t develop a good study schedule if your work conflicts with your studying. If you have family obligations, share your semester schedule with them too. It will help them understand when you need to dedicate extra time to studying or writing papers for your classes.

5. Get connected.

   • You can’t do this alone. Everyone can use help developing good study methods and setting up a study schedule. Reach out to your university. At Southern Miss, student success is the foundation of the university. They even have a ton of resources available to students. They can be found at https://www.usm.edu/success. Another great way to get study mode back is to find a partner in your degree program. Buddy up with someone to help you stay on track.

If you are sitting around with no motivation to do anything and you know the semester is approaching fast, don’t give in to procrastination. Use some of that internal motivation you know you have deep down, and get started the right way this semester with these 5 Tips for Getting Back in Study Mode. When grades come out this semester, you will be glad you did.

For students looking for a place to help guide them through their degree, The University of Southern Mississippi might be the place for you. With offices dedicated to scholarships, academic success, and disability accommodations, students come first. Use some of that internal motivation and check out the online degree offerings at online.usm.edu.