Well, Class of 2025, our time as freshmen is quickly coming to a close. Freshman year can be difficult in many ways, but there’s an element of nostalgia in saying goodbye to our first year at Boston College. With just around one month left until the end of the semester, you might be wondering about how to make the most out of the short time we have before summer vacation. Here are some of my tips on how to finish the semester strong and a few ways to make the most of the remaining time on campus.
Don’t Slack Off
While it is tempting to brush off your responsibilities as summer approaches, make sure to attend all of your classes and complete all of your schoolwork. The last month can be a good opportunity to befriend your favorite professors, which will ultimately be beneficial for you—you can stop by their office hours for meaningful conversations about the class or for extra final exam prep. You won’t regret pushing through to the end of the semester—it’ll all be worth it in the end.
Deep Clean Your Room Before You Move Out
Now is the perfect time to organize your closet and clean up that space under your bed that you have been procrastinating doing for the entire semester. Give yourself time after class or over the weekend to clean your entire room. This will make packing up and emptying out your room before summer much easier.
Do Some Research for Next Year
It never hurts to prepare yourself early for sophomore year. In addition to preparing for your chosen classes for next semester, get a head start on looking into more ways you can get involved on campus. This includes searching for clubs and student-run organizations you might possibly want to join once the new school year starts again. Just because we’ll be sophomores doesn’t mean we can’t get involved again!
Reflect
Whether it is through journaling or looking back at your camera roll, reflecting on your first year at BC is a nice way to remember your best moments and experiences. Freshman year can be hard, but through reflection and remembering the best moments, you can end the semester on a positive note. A great way is to also create a collection of your favorite photos from freshman year and get them printed out to hang them in your room back home. This way, you can think of your best times at BC while at home during the summer.
Work Hard, Play Hard
Staying in and having time to yourself is important, but so is going out and meeting new people—you never know the new relationships you could build just from one night out. You can also make more unforgettable memories with your friends by exploring new places in Boston together, ultimately expanding your options for the next school year.
Regardless of how you spend the remaining weeks of freshman year, the most important thing is to be proud of all the work you have accomplished—we have all pushed through different challenges and adjusted to a new environment. Freshman year might have been the best for some people, but also the worst for others. If it wasn’t the greatest, sophomore year can serve as a fresh start. I hope these tips help you maximize your last few weeks on the heights and help you reset before going home for the summer.
