Elizabeth Pulanco / Winonan

After nearly a month without students, the Winona State University campus has come back to life. Last week marked the beginning of a new semester and students have been preparing for new classes and new opportunities.

With the influx of students, areas like the Darrell W. Krueger Library and the Baldwin study lounge in Kryzsko Commons have been reaching their full capacity, as students begin their studies and try to stay warm.

Now that snow and ice have covered campus, students have traded in short sleeves for heavy-duty winter gear as they make their way across the university grounds.  Some students even take short cuts through other academic buildings in order to avoid the harsh winter weather.

Each new semester brings new challenges for students. Returning to the mentality of going to class and studying regularly can be difficult for students. Some students can ease into the new semester with little effort, while others prefer some more preparation.

First year student Jaynie Olson finds herself creating a routine as the semester moves forward.

“To get back in the mood of going to school, I sit down and get everything in order and get right into it,” Olson said.

Olson jokingly mentioned how she uses this method to “shock” herself into regaining the mindset of going back to school.

Olson also discussed some of the struggles she faces at the beginning of a semester, including the issues she has with organizing certain tasks she needs to accomplish.

“The idea of figuring out what I need to prioritize is hard for me, so I go through a guess and check system to see what works out,” Olson said.

For some students, jumping right into the new semester does not work.

Senior Samantha Stawarz prefers to take some time and prepare things as she starts the upcoming semester.

“It’s helpful to write in my planner where and when my classes are,” Stawarz said. “The first week is a good time for getting materials and writing down test and assignment dates ahead of time.”

Although Stawarz sets time aside to plan out her schedule, she finds it difficult to switch over from the schedule she had over winter break.

“Adjusting my schedule from the one I had over break is a struggle, especially getting up earlier,” Stawarz said. “Switching over is tough, but being at school longer helps you get into a routine quicker.”

Settling into a new schedule is one of the obstacles some students face at the beginning of a semester, but another issue that students deal with is having different professors.

Having a class with new professor can be difficult because it is hard for students to understand the expectations a professor may have for the class. This is why most professors provide students with a syllabus to go over the professor’s rules and expectations for the students, and also provide the class with dates for assignments and exams.

Once students get settled into their new routine, the semester will go by quickly, and before they know it, they’ll start building a routine for a new semester in the fall.