It is important to acknowledge that less than stellar performance in the classroom can be related to personal matters, and may not simply be a function of poor study habits or time management issues.

Just as you did for your academics, take an inventory of your personal life. The advice for sophomore year made clear that relationship management would be critical to your overall success as an undergraduate.

Nurturing and supportive relationships are to be fostered; relationships that divert you from your goals must unfortunately be either limited or discarded entirely. It is true that college is not simply about studying, but also about socializing. These activities can promote personal growth. However, these activities must be managed to comport with your overall program for graduate school admission.

To reiterate, your ultimate goal is to gain admission into the graduate school of your choice, in the discipline of your choice, and with a full funding from your graduate institution. The advice provided in this website is part of an overall enterprise, a strategy to create as many opportunities for graduate study as possible for you upon the completion of your undergraduate career.

Concededly, relationship issues are tough to deal with. Family issues are perhaps the most difficult because obligations to family oftentimes cannot be limited. If your family needs you, then it is very difficult to refuse. However, other relationships can be limited. If your "friends" want you to party with then when you have an exam the next week, then you may be forced to simply say "no," even if they persist. If your boyfriend/girlfriend gets upset because you spend your time in the library and not with him/her, then that relationship definitely requires a re-assessment.

The fact of the matter is that graduate school admissions committees are not interested in how many parties you attended or how many nights you spent with your significant other. They are interested in how well you did on your exams. A healthy balance between focus, determination and an unwavering adherence to the mission on the one hand, and the need for a social life on the other should be you ultimate goal.