Semicolons basically represent a break within a sentence that is stronger than a comma, but less final than a period. Semicolons are used to connect two different ideas that are closely related; however, this is not the only use for a semicolon. ;) Semicolons can also be used in lists to separate items when one or more items in the list contain a comma. Using semicolons correctly and efficiently can drastically increase the quality of your work.
Hope this helps! :)