#ProgressSzn

The game clock ticks down on your favorite team. You only have 2 episodes to go on that Netflix season. Your GPS says you’ll get there in 12 minutes but there’s traffic ahead. We check our progress all the time because it helps us make decisions about what we should do next. The same is true for college coursework – monitoring your progress in classes throughout the semester helps you make decisions about how much you need to study, or commit to writing a paper, or prep for a sim lab. But how do you know where you’re at?

1. Check Your Syllabus! Remember, you received this document that likely paced out how heavily assignments are weighted and what topics may be covered. Checking back with the syllabus can add new clarity (or refresh your memory) as to what is expected of you. Then, give yourself a gut check – am I living my best life in the way this course expects?

• Review your Grades & Feedback! Seems pretty self-explanatory, but it’s easy to get that grade back, judge yourself, and then file it away, never to be seen again. If your professor records grades in Canvas, look early and often. If your faculty member only gives the test back with red marks and not the answers, don’t just groan and file it away… find the answers yourself and see where you went wrong. The actions you take once you get feedback speak volumes as to your commitment to success in the course.

• Progress Reports! One of the most direct ways to know how you’re doing is by hearing from your faculty member. The University asks professors to issue progress reports for students about halfway through the semester, so you will most likely get at least one notification that a progress report has been submitted. From that point, you have so many ways to reflect and grow! Doing well? Maybe you’d be interested in a minor! Poor performance? Go to office hours and ask for help with the content! Missing assignments? See if the professor would accept them late. The reason they give this feedback is to help you adjust, well before the end of the semester – there’s time yet to improve!

So this #ProgressSzn, definitely take the opportunity to look back – it’s one of the best ways to move forward.