The midway point of the Fall 2024 semester is almost upon us at the University of North Dakota. As midterms end, final exams will soon be upon us and with that comes a new semester. Before the Spring 2025 semester begins, it is important to get a few orders of business aligned. It may seem a bit early to start thinking about next semester, but it will be here before we know it and there is plenty to do to begin preparing early. 

The first step you can take to set yourself up for success next semester is remembering to take the time to fill out your Scholarship Central application. This application is open to all students and just recently opened for the Spring 2025 semester. The application takes very little time to complete and will offer various scholarships that you can apply for based on your area of study and personal qualities. Each scholarship has a deadline, some sooner than later, so it is important to stay on top of it to ensure that you are creating the best possible opportunities for yourself. 

The next way that you can start to prepare for the spring semester is by starting to plan out your classes. You can reach out to your academic advisor through Hawk Central to set up a time to meet in-person or online to discuss your academic plan. It is better to get an early start on this, as advisor meeting times tend to fill up quickly as registration gets closer. 

One tip that your advisor might give you is to take some time to use Degree Map to plan out the upcoming semester and the rest of your semesters. Doing this can help you see exactly what you have left to complete and how you can complete it in your desired time here at UND. Once you have your semester all planned out, you will be able to easily complete your registration and create your schedule. 

Starting on November 1, students will have access to see what time and what day they will be able to register. Some students get priority over others and early registration begins November 4 with the rest to follow. It is important that you get all these things sorted out before this time comes because it will make the process of registration go so much smoother and will provide better odds for you to have a great start to the Spring 2025 semester. So, take advantage of the opportunity provided to you as a student and set yourself up for success. 

Nora Lee is a Dakota Student General Reporter. She can be reached at [email protected].