The beginning of every academic year is often met with mixed feelings of excitement, nervousness, apprehension, and hope. Having the opportunity to gain more knowledge and develop new skills is always something to look forward to. As a music student, thoughts typically arise such as whether you will be able to learn the content quickly and easily and if it will inspire you. Other thoughts can also occur, such as contemplating how many classes to sign up for and if you will be able to handle the homework load, wondering if you will get along with your instructors and whether they will be approachable, intimidating, demanding, or encouraging.
When the middle of your semester becomes more familiar and you get into a rhythm with your routine, the drive and stamina you exhibited during the first few weeks of classes can sometimes begin to dip. This lull can result from multiple factors. For some students, this part of the semester can reveal tardiness, missing assignments, and slipping grades. This negative trend can be corrected, however, and this is when you must exercise some courage and reach out to ask for help. In moments of difficulty, although it may not seem like it at the time, there are always factors still within your control and systems you can put in place to increase your chances of success when any pitfalls arise.
Executing any type of demanding schedule requires an honest effort. Certainly for musicians, significant time is spent practicing and attending rehearsals on top of an already heavy load of courses, research, and assignments. Maintaining your focus, meeting all required deadlines with excellent effort, getting enough sleep, and eating well all play a critical role for achieving success. Yet, there is more to this formula. So what do you need in order to continue on the path of staying on top of your obligations and goals? Creating a success schema around your academic plans can direct you through the most challenging times! Developing this framework isn't time-consuming and only requires an awareness of possible opportunities and generation of intentional plans throughout your routine encounters.
Below are seven approaches for developing your success schema:
First and foremost, showing up, regardless of how difficult challenges may seem, is essential to moving forward with the right momentum. Even in moments when you feel decreased motivation, the essential action of showing up will help you push through arduous times, allowing you to get back on track.
Maintaining open communication with your instructors from the start of the semester will be to your benefit. When your instructors observe your genuine efforts but for some reason your plans are falling short, these individuals will be more willing to help advise you when things become overwhelming. Most instructors will be willing to help you and work with you to offer solutions for improvement. If the instructor teaching the course cannot assist you for whatever reason, then another instructor in the same subject area should be able to guide you.
Forming relationships with colleagues you can trust will be helpful to you during times of difficulty. These people do not necessarily need to be in your closest circle of friends, but they should be people who have similar plans and goals. Utilize or develop small study groups where you can brainstorm together and be held accountable—much like having a workout partner to help meet your fitness goals.
Network with other students outside of your own campus. There are often national and international organizations where you can meet colleagues who share the same interests. Networking is a great way to discover how others navigate through challenging courses, often giving you new ideas to implement on your own.
Network with other students outside of your specialized field. These individuals will often relate to your situation, can offer fresh perspectives, and lend support outside of your own smaller circles.
Get to know experts in your field. These individuals don’t necessarily need to be a personal mentor, but they have more experience than you and can help guide you in the right direction when you need to solve difficult problems or simply need a boost of motivation.
Seek out your mentors. These are people you will have lifelong professional relationships with and whom you can always count on to be supportive, write letters of recommendation, and share in your life plans for success.
Just remember, your goals were put in place by your own inspiration and you can absolutely accomplish them. When the semester begins to weigh upon you and the routine starts to grind, you don’t need to simply endure it. By having your own success schema in place, you will be able to get the extra help you need, boost your spirit, and lessen your sense of fatigue. Taking advantage of this framework will not only help increase your motivation for success, but also make each day more rewarding as you accomplish your goals one week at a time.
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