Semester 2 is literally just around the corner. And while you might be daunted by the prospect, there are some creative things you can do to make it your best one yet.
1.Find A mentor
Mentors can be an invaluable source of knowledge, advice, insight, not to mention friendship and opportunity that can open doors for you well into your future career.. Make this semester the one you find yours. You mentor could be a lecturer, a researcher, administrator, business person or even someone that creatively inspires you. Think about someone within your professional network whose work you admire and contact them, ask for advice, but also ask how you might help them. Ask if you can offer your services as an intern or employee or other ways and start to building the relationship. Remember the best mentoring relationships are two way streets. You may not find the right mentor straight away, but the experience of finding one alone, will be invaluable.
2.Read for Fun
We talked last week about the importance of reading for fun. Set yourself a goal of reading 10 books per semester. It will broaden your horizons, improve a wide range of skills and make your semester inestimably more interesting.
3.Get a Life
Don’t just make your semester about study, study and more study. Find balance in your life. Make time for play, for family and friends, and cultivate and pursue interests outside of your academic life.
4.Get to Know …(people, places, things)
Get to know the world around you. Make the effort to get to know the people you study with ( be it online or in class). Get to know and learn from your lecturers, your librarian, the lady at the café you buy coffee from every day. Also make sure you know your environment – your campus, your neighbours, your local parks and where possible make time to travel even if it’s for just a day or an afternoon to somewhere you haven’t been before.
5. Join
This semester, make sure you join at least 2 new clubs, societies or professional associations. This will help expand your networks, will ensure you try new things, and broaden your horizons immeasurably, plus will open you up to new experiences.
6.Start something new…
Try something you’ve never done before. Learn how to knit, play the guitar, learn a new sport, or start a blog. Do an online course in something other than what you’re studying.You never know where it might take you.
7.Strive for failure…
While the prospect of failure is infinitely terrifying for most of us, it is something we will all experience at some point in our life, and the more we fail the more we learn, grow and evolve.. So try something new where you know you have slim chances at success. Play a sport or take up a hobby that frightens you or you don’t think you’d be good at, apply for a job you have no qualifications for. If you’re single, ask someone out that you know is “out of your league” . When you push yourself beyond your comfort zone, you learn the distance you’d have to cover to succeed.
8.Get to know yourself
Be mindful. Get to know your strengths and learn how to apply them. Spend time alone, just being. Also don’t be afraid to explore your weaknesses and discover how you might improve upon them. University offers you a unique time for focusing on self-improvement and personal development. Exploit it.
How will you make this one your best yet?