Setting new goals is an important way of tracking your progress. And when you’ve got a whole life and career ahead of you, making progress is an important thing.

However, that doesn’t mean new goals aren’t dangerous. Setting yourself up for failure with absurd, unattainable goals only leaves you feeling disappointed in yourself, even when you’ve made great strides.

At WayUp, our goal is for you to succeed without all the anxiety along the way. So here are 3 totally attainable professional, academic, and personal goals for 2019.

1. Improve (Or Maintain) Your Grades

“Improve” is the operative word here. You’re not going to suddenly jump up to a A student in French if you’ve always been a B-minus one. You might! But it’s important just to expect solid commitment and some forward progress from yourself.

GPA in college isn’t everything when it comes to finding a job. In fact, many great companies aren’t interested in your grades. However, improving your GPA can help you with some of the top companies that do filter out candidates with lower GPAs. However, not even top-tier companies expect you to have a 4.0, so don’t sweat it if you don’t.

Remember: Big changes comes by changing little things. Check out this guide of quick and easy tricks to improve your grades.

2. Get A Summer Internship (Or Your First Full-Time Job)

This goal can be pretty intimidating—and it’s likely already something on your radar. How could it not be?

But it doesn’t have to be stressful or seem unattainable. As internship and entry-level job experts, we can assure you: Getting an internship or an entry-level job doesn’t have to be hard.

Focus on improving your resume and sending more applications. Most importantly, don’t ever give up.

3. Regularly Schedule Time For Friends And Family

You won’t be fulfilled in life just by academic and professional success (although they certainly help). Make sure you stay in contact with the people who really matter: family and friends.

It might seem cold or calculating to “put time on your calendar” for the special people in your life. However, it can be very rewarding, even if you just say “see Emma every Thursday” or “call grandma every Sunday at 1 o’clock.”

Want to reconnect with an old friend, but not sure how? Check out this New York Times article on rekindling old friendships.

And Don’t Forget To Be Proud Of Yourself

More so than anything, your mental and physical health are extremely important. Be proud of yourself for what you can accomplish (and have already). And don’t forget to take plenty of opportunities to relax on your journey to greatness.

Want to get a head start on your internship search? Check out more career tips and search for jobs on WayUp.

The post 3 Professional, Personal, And Academic Goals For The New Semester appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

Getting your grades up: a classic New Year’s resolution. It’s also an excellent way to improve your chances of getting your dream job, impressing your parents, and just feeling more confident in yourself.

The problem is that most of the traditional methods for doing so are—to put it delicately—super boring.

So, we’ve put together some of the best tips and tricks from certified college over-achievers around the WayUp office. They’re guaranteed to raise your grades without draining your entire social life.

1. “Schedule classes that you’ll actually go to.”

This answer might seem a little on the nose, but it can really trip people up. Not going to class leaves you in a terrible position. You’re not able to learn from the professor. You’re always playing catch-up. And you can never quite have the same confidence when you do decide to go in. Plus, at the end of the semester, when it comes time to grade grub and ask for leniency, you’ll be in a bad position if you haven’t seen the professor since the third class.

If you can’t avoid having a class at a time when you’ll be tempted to skip it (e.g. 8am on Monday or 4pm on Friday), then make sure you’re truly prepared to go.

2. “Learn while you’re in class—not later from a textbook or PowerPoint.”

Taking notes is essential, but learning the content of those notes in the moment is even more important. Make sure your note-taking method is one that lends itself to really paying attention while you’re in class. That way, if you don’t understand something, you can tackle it right then and there by asking a question.

Asking questions is also a way to show professors that you’re truly engaged in the material. Basically, stay off social media or Amazon, and really invest yourself in that moment.

This is so key because it saves so much of your time. If you learn it first, in class, then you won’t have to spend so much time studying before exams, or trying to decipher your homework assignments with a 400-page textbook.

3. “Keep a running deck of flashcards (or Quizlet terms).”

One of the most stressful parts of studying is the preparation. It’s hard enough to learn 300 terms before next week’s exam; it’s twice as hard to put all of those terms into a Quizlet form or a deck of flashcards while you’re trying to really learn.

If something comes up that you think is important or that your teacher specifically notes will be on the exam, add it to your flashcards or list. This can also be useful for powerful quotes and key info for essays.

Studying will take way less time, and you’ll be much quicker about it when it comes time for quizzes, assignments, and exams.

4. “Hold onto your homework. Those questions are always on the exams.”

This could not be more true. Even if your professors have a policy against reusing questions from homework on exams, they’ll still be in a similar format.

Homework is usually made by the teachers and professors, even if the questions aren’t. This means they’ve already made it clear they think this kind of question is important. Don’t waste this opportunity to get a look inside their mind.

Saving homework and using the questions as practice for the exam can really set you up for success—and save time you’d spend hunting down practice problems on the internet.

5. “If you’re going to study in a group,  make sure you have something to add (and vice versa).”

This is where all those saved homework, flashcards, and quality notes will really come in handy. Studying in a group shouldn’t mean messing around or hanging out. If you use your time effectively, then there will be plenty of time to chill afterward.

When you study in a group, make a Google doc and assign roles before your group meets. Make sure everyone knows what they’re bringing. If there’s work to be done, then divide it up. This will make sure everyone keeps their cool, masters at least one thing, and that no one is holding everyone back with super basic questions.

Inch by Inch…

The common thread between these tactics? Share the responsibilities. As the saying goes, “Inch by inch, life’s a cinch. Yard by yard, life is hard.”

In this case—if we’re maintaining the metaphor—these are inches compared to football fields worth of work. Build your flashcards over the course of a semester. Take quality notes. Learn while you’re in the classroom, and don’t forget to actually show up.

Surprisingly, you’ll find most of the stress and difficulty of your classes will fade away by just keeping up with these simple steps.

The post Tried-And-True Tricks For Improving Your Grades In Spring Semester (That Won’t Take Up All Your Time) appeared first on Job and Internship Advice, Companies to Work for and More | WayUp Blog.

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