4 Ways This Fall Semester Has Made Me a Better Person


“It is necessary … for a man to go away by himself … to sit on a rock … and ask, ‘Who am I, where have I been, and where am I going?” — Carl Sandburg

I can’t believe how fast the fall semester flew by! It seemed like it was just yesterday that it was August starting my first day of classes. But over the last four months, I have learned so much and I wanted to share it with you so you can learn from my mistakes.

This Fall semester was tough. The courses I took were:

  • Operating Systems
  • Combinatorics
  • Design Patterns
  • Linear Algebra
  • Problem Solving

Alongside this, I have been applying for jobs nonstop, completing side projects and consulting on the side. Needless to say, I definitely underestimated the amount of work I had. Despite the copious nights spent at the Computer Science Lab, I am happy to say — I made it out alive. When you are backed up against a wall, you amaze yourself at the lengths you go to succeed.

By examining how I have been performing over the last couple of years, I knew that I had to make an improvement. But where should I start first? Where I was the least successful; which was procrastinating, organization, and productivity. Therefore, I knew that if I started slow, and incrementally improved I would become flourishing. But before starting, I really needed to sit and think about why I have been doing routinely doing these behaviors.

Self-reflection is a very important measure for becoming a better person. You should analyze your successes and failures. Introspection is crucial for improving areas that you lack in, as well as compliment yourself for those you excel in. Wouldn’t you want to become a better person? Someone that is able to work hard and play even harder?

If I could do it all over again, I would do it much differently but here are the 4 ways the fall semester has made me a better person…

Ways I Became a Better Person


1. Becoming More Honest With Myself

Similar to introspection, I understand that I have flaws and have made mistakes. But that is ok! That makes us human. By being honest with yourself, you can identify your flaws and improve on them. For example, I am a poor public speaker. To take action on that — I joined a local Toastmaster club. This taught me to relax and slow down speaking instead of spitting the words out 1,000 words per minute.

Another way I became more honest with myself is by recognizing when I need help and acting on it. Before, I had a very big ego. “I don’t need anyone else’s help to solve this — I can do it by myself even if this takes me 3 days”. I stubbornly thought that this was the right mindset because it forces me to think critically and act independently. Unbeknownst to me, seeking help is very beneficial. Not only will I be pointed in the right direction, but I also improve my communication with colleagues or peers. Whether this is visiting the professor or teaching assistant at their office hours or collaborating with a classmate — I noticed that by acknowledging my tenacious ego and pride, I was able to overcome difficult problems.


2. Improving My Willpower


I used to only study only when I had to — if there is an upcoming test or project that had to be done, I would procrastinate (like most people). However, I forced myself every day to do at least 30 minutes of reading, practice problems, etc. I know that 30 minutes isn’t much, but once I start — it usually turns to 60 or even 90 minutes. It’s a bit of psychology telling yourself to work only 30 minutes because usually starting is the hardest part.

I also chose to code at least once every other day. Since most of my classes didn’t require programming as part of their homework, I needed to refresh my languages that I don’t use and bolster those that I am currently using. Although I started practicing this in late October, you can see my contribution graph showing my pledge.

There are so many ways to reduce procrastinating that I implemented which improved my willpower. These include:

  • Rewarding myself after every study session with either a snack or push-ups (I’m a masochistic).
  • Having my significant other checkup on me every X number of hours.
  • Attacking the hardest problem first.

3. Becoming More Organized and Productive


This was definitely my most improved attribute. I increased my productivity to actually work less but produce more! I chose to wake up daily at 7:00 am. Even though my first class started at 9:35, I was able to plan my schedule for the day/week, resolve my TODO list, eat breakfast, and fit in a 20 minute meditation session. Alongside this, I was able to develop an organization structure. I loosely based my schedule off of How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less

Me after reading this book

I used a gamut of tools for organization, such as:

  • Wunderlist
  • Google Calendar
  • Pomodoro
  • MindGenius

4. Putting Less Pressure on Myself

I touched heavily on this on my things I have learned from 5 years of college post, but I wanted to emphasize how important this was. Being satisfied with my grades knowing that I tried my hardest was a revelation. In the real world, I know that I will succeed because I try my hardest at things and my results shine on that. There are so many studies done relating stress and pressure that show that it is self-destructive. I’m 22 years old — I don’t need crow’s feet or gray hair anytime soon.

There are so many studies done relating stress and pressure that show that it is self-destructive. I’m 22 years old — I don’t need crow’s feet or gray hair anytime soon. This site contains an exhaustive list of stress-related symptoms (it must be credible, its domain name is “stress.org”).

One of my favorite quotes regarding putting less pressure on myself is:

Don’t take life too seriously. You’ll never get out alive.
-Bugs Bunny

One great side-effect of coding daily is shipping the minimal viable product (MVP). This forces you not to be a perfectionist which takes the stress off of having to have every little feature included, everything tested, etc.

Final Reflections


I am assured that the fall semester helped me in many ways. I am eager to start the spring semester because I know that I will hone in on other attributes. By continuing these practices and incrementally improving on those that I am weak on — I will become a better me, and that’s all that I can hope for.

Originally published at devanpatel.me on December 24, 2014.