Dear Class of 2029,
You did it! You’ve completed your first college semester at Wesleyan. Congratulations!
As you head into winter break, I want to encourage you to take some time for reflection. The most successful students don’t just set goals for the future—they pause to understand what brought them this far.
Reflect on Your Journey
Think back to the first day you stepped foot on campus. Remember that student, and consider all the ups and downs you’ve experienced over the past 15 weeks to get you to where you are today.
What academic strategies served you well this semester? Did you attend faculty office hours, work with peer tutors, or meet with an academic peer advisor? Which of these strategies do you want to carry into the spring?
Were there moments where an alternative strategy might have been more effective? Perhaps you didn’t give yourself enough time to study for an exam, or you waited too long to start that end-of-semester paper. How did you navigate those challenges, and what would you do differently next time?
Thinking honestly about what worked and what didn’t will help you make stronger decisions in the spring.
Set Your Intentions for Spring
After reflecting, many students set next semester goals such as:
- Attending office hours for all their professors at least once
- Giving themselves grace when a project doesn’t turn out perfectly
- Taking a class outside their comfort zone
- Building in daily or weekly wellness activities
Whatever your goals look like, say them out loud to a friend or a family member, schedule appointments with our Academic Peer Advisors who can serve as accountability partners, or write them down somewhere you’ll see them regularly.
Looking Ahead
A little reflection and planning now will help you hit the ground running when classes begin on January 22. Until then, take this time to celebrate the good work you’ve already done and visualize the great work you’ll do next semester.
Be sure to mark your calendars and register now for Wesleyan Career Month, a new January initiative from the Gordon Career Center that brings together virtual and in-person programs designed to support exploration, confidence-building, and connection during winter break.
I’m proud of everything you’ve accomplished, and I look forward to interacting with you again in January.
Take care,
Dean Dunn
https://classof2029.blogs.wesleyan.edu/