Getting Back on Track with the New Semester

By Siddharth Bharani-Dharan

The spring 2026 semester is officially underway for Georgetown graduate students. It is an exciting time as this may be your final semester,the end of your first year, or even your first semester of graduate school.

With that being said, the first few weeks will be filled with excitement as we get back to the lecture halls, look over the syllabus for every course, and spend meaningful time with friends again. To stay on the path towards academic success this semester, here are a few tips to make this a great semester.

Get ahead of the curve

While the first few weeks of a semester could seem fairly light with not much work or exams, the workload can quickly creep up on you. Staying engaged during lecture and completing assignments in a timely manner will ease the tension and panic when your first set of mid-term exams arrive.

Take care of yourself

Graduate school can ramp up very quickly and can get stressful. While you may be engrossed in studying, it is still important to take care of your well-being. That means eating three meals a day, getting enough sleep, and taking regularly spaced breaks when studying.

Taking care of your mental health is also a must as that comes before your academics. Georgetown University offers an extensive range of options for support whether it be individually, in groups, or a referral to an external service entirely for free. The Georgetown Counseling and Psychiatric Service will always be there to help at any point in the semester.

Ask for help

What we learn in our graduate-level courses can be very challenging. There will be many moments where we may not understand the concepts presented. Being willing to take the necessary steps to get the academic help you need will lead to success this semester.

That could be in the form of asking questions during lecture, meeting your professor during office hours, studying with friends, or getting the specific help you need from the university’s Academic Resource Center

This semester brings about a new beginning bound to be filled with new challenges. As we learn to navigate those challenges, following these tips may help you make your experience as a Georgetown graduate student more manageable.