I’ve survived another trimester of Uni. Yay!
Uni is definitely hard work and comes with many ups and downs along the way. You may fail a course or struggle socially. Uni has all these different and new experiences and we don’t always respond as well as we could. But a new trimester is an opportunity to start again.
So this is a guide to how you can recover after a hard trimester.
1. See the Bright Side
I thought we would start with a positive note. Take a piece of paper out and think about all the best aspects of the past trimester. If it has been making new friends or going out, something worth celebrating over the last few months has to be there. Uni is certainly about learning, but it is one of our biggest growth periods, too. We build bonds that last for life and go on wild adventures. One of the best parts of doing these things is the memories we create.
2. Figure out what needs to be changed
It is also important to consider aspects that we can grow from in order to make them a more positive experience in the future. Figure out the part of your trimester that you would love to redo. Perhaps your grades aren’t as good as you thought they were going to be, or you didn’t make as many friends as you set out to. Having these sorts of missteps are just that; missteps. But within your time here you’re going to take a gazillion more steps, so this isn’t the time to freak out or do anything rash.
3. Work to make things improve
This one will be a little more active than two steps, but I think you are up for that. Having to wait for things to improve and making the same mistakes is likely to fuel a negative mindset. Solution – “Work to make things improve”.
Grades not where you would have thought they would be?
Create a schedule for yourself so you can ensure that you study more and procrastinate a little less.
Not quite as many friends as you’d hoped for?
Join a club (for example Griffith mates). Engaging in their events is a perfect way to meet people.
Or maybe you have deeper problems?
Griffith counsellors are just a call or email away, so you might as well approach them.
If you want to improve a bad trimester, you have to really make an effort. But with a bit of hard work and focus on the areas you want to improve your next trimester can be your best trimester!
Cheers.
-Vineetha Ranga
