As finals approach and the academic year comes to an end, you should evaluate your academic progress. Spring break is a great time to work on raising grades. Looking over past homework assignments and midterms should give you a general idea of what areas need improvement. The following information will guide you through ways to make your break productive.
Stay in contact with your professors and TA's over the break. TA office hours can be found at the SRC website at http://go.unl.edu/cja. They will be able to tell you what needs attention. Ask if they can suggest tutorials or other resources. Also, have them go over past homework assignments that you are struggling with. Go through them chronologically and use a highlighter to mark any problems you have. This will help you pinpoint reoccurring mistakes. If you get stuck on a problem, do not be afraid to email them. They want you to succeed and are here to help.
Catch up on reading assignments. It's not at all uncommon to get behind in the reading for a class. You have a lot going on during the year and it's understandable if you get overwhelmed. Use the break to catch up on all that you have been unable to do during the semester, whether it be reading, studying, or going over past assignments. Harvard University and the University of California San Diego offer great advice on critical reading, which can be found on their websites at http://guides.hcl.harvard.edu/sixreadinghabits and http://cseweb.ucsd.edu/~wgg/CSE210/howtoread.html.
Visit the Library. The quiet environment is helpful and void of distractions. If you are going away over the break, check out some books to take with you. Look at your reading as a time to catch up, not to crunch. This will help ward off anxiety and will give you more confidence when exams approach.
Get acquainted with and use online resources. The University of South Carolina and MIT offer great tutorials and course notes. They can be found at http://www.cse.sc.edu/~okeefe/tutorials/ and at http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/electrical-engineering-and-computer-science/. Both are free and extensive. Also, University College London has past exam papers available online, which are great for timed practice. These can be found at http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/teaching/exams/.
Plan a study group. It can be a one-time thing or even a meeting once a week up until finals. Explaining things out loud to classmates will help you to realize concepts that you are misunderstanding. Different students have different academic weaknesses, so help each other through them. These meetings will also provide moral support and social activity, even when there seems to be no time for such things.
Catch up on sleep and take care of your health. Remember, this is a great time to get in all those missed hours of sleep during the semester. Rest and relaxation can help prepare you for the stressful time ahead. If you feel overwhelmed, remember that the University Health Center offers a wide array of services that can help.
Finally, remember that the department is concerned about its students and is here to help. If you need any advice or support, please contact a professor, your TA, or the undergraduate advisor, Dr. Charles Riedesel.
The CSE department wishes you a great spring break and the best of luck with the rest of your semester!