December is an exciting time on Georgia Tech’s campus. Everyone anticipates the end of classes and the winter break after a busy semester. While classes conclude earlier in the month, final exams and registration for spring semester can make December a stressful time for students. Parents and friends can help their students by providing support in some key ways.
First-year students may be especially worried about final exams since this is a new experience for them. Students may feel that they need to re-work every problem, memorize, or re-read everything that has been assigned since August. If this were true — and it is not! — finals would be very overwhelming. Remind students that planning and time management will help them prepare and thrive. Now is the time for students to review syllabi, past exams and assignments, and to identify what they need to review and master prior to final exams. Remind them to plan to visit their professors’ and TAs’ office hours before the last day of classes. Tutoring appointments are available through Dec. 6. On Dec. 7, students can attend Reading Day Study Sessions for extra help with practice problems in physics, chemistry, math, and computer science. They can visit tutoring website to get the StudyPalooza schedule. Parents can also help by encouraging students to manage stress by getting enough sleep, exercise, and healthy meals and snacks.
December can be a great time for students to schedule an appointment with their academic advisor. Students considering making changes to their spring schedules should meet with advisors, but students can also use this relatively quiet time to explore studying abroad, undergraduate research, or other programs, including learning about minors and certificates.
Students who are disappointed with their fall semester grades should take some time over the winter break to reflect on and learn from their academic performance. Scheduling an appointment with an Academic Coach early in the semester to create a spring success plan is a great strategy. Anyone can make plans for a strong start to spring semester by checking out the Success Summit, a self-paced virtual program with resources designed to help all students, the week of January 9 – 13. Encourage your student to visit the Success Summit website for more information.