By Alexis Rodriguez > Junior > English > Cornell University

For many of us spring break is now just a memory and only weeks are left ‘til finals. You wake up Sunday morning after an all-night rager and you suddenly recall getting a few tests back this week with pretty low numbers on them. It’s a little more than mid-way through the semester and you’re starting to realize that you just might not be doing as well in some of your classes as you’d like. Raise your hand if this has happened (or IS happening) to you.

You are not alone, trust me. It’s inevitable. We start to slack off around spring break and we never seem to get back on track despite all of our solemn vows to do better. It’s one thing after another that gets in the way of goal. So how DO you finish the semester strong when it feels like you’re struggling to survive in an academic quicksand?

Aside from actually showing up to class and turning in your homework on time, your professors do have a plethora of other expectations. They didn’t invent office hours for the hell of it. The thing about professors is that most can be very understanding…IF they actually KNOW who you are. Most of your classes are probably rather large and if to them you’re just a name on a homework     assignment how can they help turn that C+ into a B? Utilize their office hours. Go in there after you receive yet another less than  satisfactory grade and tell them “Hey, look. I’m not doing that well in this class right now. How can I do better?” No they can’t magically turn a D into an A but if they see you making a genuine effort they’ll tend to be a tad more lenient than they would if you were nothing but a faceless name. Not to mention, if you form a relationship with your professors you can always ask them for a recommendation.

One of my many mottos is “better late than never” (though there is such a thing as “too little too late”). If you are one of those students who does show up to class, but sits in the back trying to pass the time stalking your latest hook-up on Facebook, there’s no time like the present to change that. Believe it or not, participation does factor into final grades (it’s NOT just something professors put down on syllabi to foster wishful thinking). You still have time. Start raising your hand and answering questions. Even if you’re wrong, so what? It is never a BAD thing to at least stand out a little  (though there is a fine line between standing out and brown nosing – no one likes a brown noser).

There is always hope but don’t wait to the last second. Yeah, it sucks that we couldn’t live up to our plan of working really hard all semester, but it takes a big person with strong character to admit when they’re wrong and fix the problem. There are always a ton of solutions, find them. Talk to your professors, explain your situation to them. They’re here to help you, not to fail you (or else we’d call them grim reapers instead of TEACHers). Finish this semester with a bang and remember, summer IS just around the corner.

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By Alexis Rodriguez > Junior > English > Cornell University

The one thing (of many) that all of our lectures and discussion sections never cover are the matters of the heart. Oh cupid where art thou amongst the throng of beer loving frat boys and parties that only end in drunken hook-ups ? In a world of prelims, papers, and extracurricular activities it is extremely difficult to navigate the even more complicated world of relationships. Do you even want one at this point in your life? If you do, how do you even go about finding someone on the same page as you? If you’re in one, how do you maintain it?

The bottom line to remember despite what point you are at in the throes of passion (or lack thereof) is that we are all still exceptionally young; there is a whole world that lies ahead. Then again, this is an important piece of knowledge to remember when you’re blinded by the arrows of Eros (rolls off the tongue doesn’t it?). My father gave me the best advice the last time I was at home. As college students there are either two types of people (in general) who we can get involved with. The first type being a guy or girl not currently on the same academic level as we are. Maybe they never went to school or maybe they’re already out in the job market turning their degree into a career.  The problem with this is that it is of utmost importance for your relationship to be on the same wavelength. It’s extremely difficult for someone not in your position to understand what it’s like (i.e. someone who  never went to college) and it is equally difficult for a person working a 9 to 5 in the biz to get what’s so cool about still going to frat parties. On the other hand we have type two: you are both in school (hopefully at the same school) and you are both equally ambitious in terms of academics and figuring out your lives post-degree. While at first this seems like a great deal (someone who FINALLY gets what you’re going through) you have to look at it in perspective. At this point in our respective academic careers we are competing for the ultimate goal: getting a job. We are all vying for that great GPA, the perfect resume, and who knows what city we’ll end up in. The reality is that while for a time your relationship will be great, there will almost always be that tension that comes with two people full of ambition.

SO what are you supposed to do? How are you supposed to maintain a relationship successfully, or if you’re not in one and want one, how do you achieve it? I wish I really did have all the answers, but then I guess life wouldn’t be as interesting. In my opinion, the best thing you can do while in college is build a strong foundation of friends. It really is true that friends can get you through anything. Even when your heart is shattered into a million pieces they’ll be there with a pint of Ben and Jerry’s or some drinks and video games. The key is putting everything into perspective. Our lives will change drastically on the other side of academia. If you’re intent on finding that someone, put yourself out there (in the most respectful of ways!) Get involved in groups, interact with different social circles, and always be honest. IF you start casually seeing someone and you both want different things – no bueno. Unnecessary heart ache. You don’t want to end up being that one-night stand but if you do, hey! To each their own. Go for it. College is all about finding yourself, forming bonds that can last a lifetime, networking, figuring out your life, and who knows, maybe finding the one. Regardless, it is definitely a time to have fun, and never forget that. We are young. Everything happens for a reason. Que sera, sera.

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By Alexis Rodriguez > Junior > English > Cornell University

‘Tis the season…for testing. My freshman year I thought I was slick being an English major. My first year in college was completely 100% test-free (albeit entirely filled with thousands of words and reading between the lines) and here I was thinking college was going to be a breeze. Then the reality of requirements  (four credits of math?!?!) settled in and my advisor dashed all my hopes and dreams of flying by four years.

Having to sit in a crowded room for two hours, surrounded by people who smell like they haven’t taken a shower since the semester started,  and answering questions that you’ll forget the answers to as soon as you walk out the door (if you even knew them in the first place) is the worst. It’s not like in high school where you might have a test every week. Here in the big leagues there’s only about 3 tests a semester and your grade desperate depends on your performance; no pressure. The key is how to master your tri-semester enemy and be able to control your grade instead of letting a series of multiple choice questions manipulate your GPA.

The biggest problem I see that most college students have is waiting-to-the-last-minute syndrome. Our schedules are filled with constant roadblocks to healthy study habits. However, despite all the websites that dominate your internet history and meetings and parties that demand your attendance, it is of the utmost importance to spread your studying out. If you wait until the last minute to cram, you will severely stress yourself out, lose sleep, eat nothing but crackers, and be completely miserable. Read your assigned chapters (when they’re actually assigned), if you take notes, review them every night, and pay attention during lecture (aka stay off Facebook).

The problem is that most of us have it in our heads that we have all the time in the world when our test is next month. Workloads pile up; while your professors may be great, they tend to forget that their class isn’t the only course you’re taking this semester. You start to put off studying so much that it’s the night before the big day and you pull an all-nighter to learn an entire month and a half’s worth of information.

Some of your majors may require you to take some of the hardest classes offered (for me, every math or science course there is). It’s important to understand yourself and how you learn information and study in the most efficient manner. Never be afraid to go to  office hours to bombard your TA or professor with 50 questions or get a tutor to help you study. Many times professors’ methods of teaching are not conducive for every single student in their class so having outside options to help you understand the concepts is what bumps a B up to an A. If you don’t feel comfortable going to a tutor, put together a study group of people in your class. Sometimes hearing your peers’ perception of the current topic you all are learning helps you understand things in a different light.

The more you develop great study habits and spread your workload/studying out over a long period of time instead of waiting for the morning of, the happier you will be. It’s amazing what prioritizing and staying focused and disciplined will do for your stress levels. Always balance yourself out and plan something fun to do with your friends on a Friday night. Maybe college isn’t as easy as I once thought as a naïve freshman, but there are definitely things we can do to ease the pain.

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