The start of a new year is a good time to revamp and improve from the year past. Whether you ate too many pizza rolls, took too many naps or didn’t get the grade you wanted in a class, the new year is not only a great time to change your attitude toward life, but also your attitude toward your education.

UW-Platteville Counseling Services and Tutoring Services met with the Exponent in order to provide you with the tips you need to make this your best semester yet.

Prepare: An important part of being successful in any resolution is to prepare for the challenge ahead. According to Deirdre Dalsing, Counseling Services Director, “It is important for students to be prepared and by prepared, we mean reading your syllabus, and looking at what needs to be done [and] when.” Dalsing advised to try to stay ahead by being better prepared. This will help reduce stress that occurs when students start to fall behind.

Study Smarter, Not Harder: Even though you should study three hours for every one hour of lecture, studying is not the same for everyone. “You have to know what type of studying works best for you. If you study for twenty hours just looking at notes, that might not be the best way for you to study. The key to studying is not how long you do it but how you do it,” Tutoring Coordinator Tami Boebel said. This includes knowing your learning preferences. By addressing which style is best for you–visual, aural, reading or kinesthetic–it can be easier for you to study, Boebel said. Tutoring services can help you figure out your style of learning and share the learning preference with a tutor to better suite your needs.

Seek Help: The amount of resources on campus are limitless when you need help with any resolution. From academics to careers, the resources on campus are here for you to use and you should take advantage of them. “Consider what resources they might need at any given time and make sure [you] don’t let problems build too long. One of the problems we see is that students are waiting too long and coming in at the end of the semester and by that time, it is really hard to fix problems or concerns,” Dalsing said.

Go with the Flow: Sometimes things do not go exactly as planned and we each have to face that challenge. It could be simple forgiveness or the ability to turn your back to negativity. Dalsing believes that we need to have the skills to deal with adversity or challenges. “If [you] don’t have those skills, [you] should think about working on them by meeting with a mentor or advisor or talking to a counselor,” she said.

Raise Your Hand: “One thing that [you] hear is that [you] need to attend class but there is more than just attending class to be successful,” Boebel said. “You need to read your assignment [and] review your notes. You also need to be engaged. Take notes and ask questions, but do not just sit there.” This will help you understand class material but will also help others.

Netflix & Chill (with yourself or friends): Sometimes doing it all can get a little stressful. Most students not only have school but are also juggling friends, family, clubs and work. It can take a lot out of students and can be detrimental to their health, which may set them back in terms of their goals. “Real attention needs to be put into taking care of you. A good balance between school, jobs, relationships, eating right, getting out and doing social things, getting good exercise and sleep. A lot of simple things can be done in order to take care of [yourselves],” Dalsing said.
Finally, we wanted to see if counseling services could help one student’s New Year’s resolution. Junior media studies major Justin Toney volunteered to get help.

“My new years resolution is to be a nicer person because nice people live longer. I am going to do it by taking it one step at a time and giving compliments to people and hope they give compliments back but if they don’t I will be the nice person I am trying to be and accept their nonkindness,” Toney said.

Besides being in love with Justin’s idea for a new years resolution, Dalsing believes that continuing to support yourself and telling yourself that it feels good and it is the right thing to do.

“Sometimes it’s the positive self talk that really helps see it through,” she said.

If you need help with a new years resolution that seems out of reach, Counseling Services can be reached for appointments at 608-342-1891. For assistance with academic goals, please contact University Tutoring Services at 608-342-1615 for more information on the services they offer.

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