A. There are four elements to academic success:
1. Figure out what is important.
2. Learn it.
3. Apply what you have learned through test-taking, and class participation.
4. Manage your time (this runs through all elements of studying behavior).
B. Time management is perhaps the number one skill to master in college.
1. If time is used wisely, one will prosper. If squandered, the job won’t get done, or it will get done at great cost.
a. Frazzled nerves
b. Sub-par performance
2. Students frequently complain that they simply don’t have enough time.
However, those who worry about lack of time are often the same people who
mismanage it.
3. In general, time can be gained in two ways.
a. Change time habits (e.g. more structured study hours).
b. Find hidden time in daily routines (e.g. studying between classes).
C. As a student, one must learn not only how to study, but when.
1. Time must be managed to promote a satisfying personal, as well as academic
life.
2. A person can not tolerate all work and no play - you’ll rebel through
distractibility, loss of motivation and inability to concentrate.
a. Living patterns established in college will likely continue throughout your
lifetime.
b. If you practice a haphazard, “putting out brushfires” lifestyle as a student,
chances are you will when you graduate as well.
D. There is no single correct way to study, take a test, or get through college. You must determine what is right for you.
1. Everyone has unique life demands to which they must adapt.
2. Experiment with study techniques and learn what works best for you.
3. There is no magical solution that works for everyone; where, when and how do
you study best?
4. However, picking up a couple of pointers can often make a significant
difference.
E. Culture Shock: An Obstacle to College Success.
1. College is to high school as:
a. Driving by yourself is to driving with a learner’s permit.
b. Dating by yourself is to going out with a chaperone.
c. Eating by yourself is to being spoon-fed.
2. How college differs:
a. Freedom - on your own for the first time - less structure than high school.
- Managing your freedom may be the greatest challenge and most valuable lesson of your college career.
b. With freedom comes choices.
(1) Will you go to class or sleep in?
(2) Study or hang out with friends?
(3) A host of seemingly small decisions will determine the direction of your
college career.
c. Volume of material to be studied.
(1) No matter how much you master, there is always something else to learn.
(2) Volume makes it difficult to use study habits of past (e.g. cram sessions in
the night before).
(3) In high school, your academic work could often be approached as a memory
task, and a disorganized one at that.
(4) Or maybe you were bright enough to just listen in class.
d. Level of competition is higher; effort needed to do “B” work in high school
may not obtain “C” in college.
e. Homesickness - it’s natural. Even if you’re happy to be on your own, you’ll
probably miss things about home.
3. Family and friends may not understand.
a. People who haven’t been to college may not be able to appreciate your experience:
(1) Parents who haven’t attended college - 1st generation college students may
find this especially difficult.
(2) Friends - they may not understand the time needed for studies; they may want
you to party whenever you’re home/not in class.
(3) Spouse and children - their needs for your time and attention may not sync
up with your need to study.
b. May end up feeling misunderstood and alienated from the people you’ve relied
on for support and encouragement.
c. College is hard on people who isolate themselves - cultivate a supportive
group of friends who can understand and share your experience.
HINT: Develop a study group.
|
A. Juggling the demands of being a student, spouse, friend, significant other, parent, and/or employee.
1. Demands often conflict
2. Especially difficult for non-traditional students.
B. Issues regarding your independence and competency.
1. College may stimulate conflicts over control.
a. Feel forced to be in school.
b. Feel professors and/or parents dictate what you can and cannot do.
2. May feel intense pressure from others (and self) to succeed.
3. Such emotions may affect how you use your time
a. You may put off tasks because you are afraid you’ll fail, or because you
don’t like to be told what to do.
b. You may skip classes, over schedule, or keep no schedule at all.
C. Some students feel insecure about being on their own.
1. They may complain, “I can’t keep a schedule.”
2. This often an expression of anxiety about being able to take care of oneself.
3. Poor time management may be an indirect expression of anxiety (and anger)
about not receiving the attention and guidance one wants.
a. Anxious I can’t do it.
b. Angry I’m being forced too.
D. How do you deal with problems of control and responsibility?
1. Ask yourself these questions:
a. Why are you here? If you can’t explain to yourself why you’re in college,
your level of scholastic motivation is apt to be quite low.
b. Have you set specific goals and made plans for the future? Research: students
with definite educational occupational plans study more, get better grades and
persist longer in their education.
2. Recognize that its your time - you made the commitment to be here.
| Time and how you manage it is up to you, and if you don’t manage it, you are setting yourself up to be a victim. |
A. Rationale:
1. One of students’ biggest problems is deciding when to study, what to study,
and how long to study.
2. Frequently so much energy goes into worrying about these things that you end
up exhausted, having accomplished little of anything.
3. Gaining control over your time stats with planning. One of the most effective
ways of doing this is to use a time schedule.
B. A time schedule is a game plan or written strategy.
1. Spells out exactly what you hope to accomplish and how you plan to do it -
day to day and week to week.
2. Allows you to organize your study and living habits.
3. Regular study habits make studying easier because they eliminate the
necessity to constantly prod yourself to do what is required.
4. Purpose of a time schedule is not to force you to put in more hours of study
but to help you use your time more effectively.
5. A time schedule must be realistic and practical.
a. Flexible enough to handle changing requirements.
b. Adequately balanced between academics and recreation.
C. Developing your time schedule. (see Appendix I)
1. Identify the content of your schedule.
a. Fixed activities: classes, labs, work, meetings.
b. Flexible activities: study time, class review, recreation/social, chores,
hygiene, exercise, sleeping, meals.
2. Record fixed time commitments - classes, labs, work.
3. Record flexible activities.
a. Schedule daily living activities - eating, sleeping, hygiene, chores.
b. Schedule time to review class notes.
(1) For lecture classes, review lecture notes ASAP after class.
- Forgetting begins quickly!
- Review, expand, revise notes while fresh in your mind.
(2) For participation classes (e.g. foreign language, speech, English), plan to study as near as possible before class.
- Recent review will facilitate your participation.
(3) Utilize hours between classes to study.
- Find an empty classroom and review your notes.
c. Schedule study time.
(1) The amount of time scheduled for each course is dependent on:
- Difficulty of material.
- Grade you wish to receive.
(2) Rule of thumb: Allow two hours of study for each hour of class.
(3) Be sure to write the name of each course in the time periods on your
schedule when you plan to study it. Don’t just write down “study”.
D. Planning your study time for optimum benefits.
1. Study a subject at the same time each day - this way you will develop rituals for yourself (e.g. Biology from 7-9 p.m., M, T, W, Th.).
a. Research: students with poor grades often have the pattern of putting off
studying for one course to study for a test in another.
b. One subject is bumped for another and you end up playing catch-up the rest of
the semester.
2. Avoid studying the same subject for more than two hours per day - you may
become to tired of the topic and your concentration will falter.
3. Make your schedule realistic and attainable.
a. Don’t plan more study hours than you will actually do.
b. Beware of defensive goal setting.
(1) Don’t set goals so low that there is no payoff.
(2) Don’t set goals so high that failure is certain.
(3) Either way you never accomplish any meaningful goals.
4. Don’t plan abrupt shifts in lifestyle (e.g. don’t go from studying 2
hours/week to 40).
5. Build in a reward system.
- Reward yourself for work well done with pleasurable activities (e.g. phone call to friend, movie, favorite snack, positive self-talk).
6. No one will not tolerate all work and no play for extended periods of time - you will end up distractible and engaged in daydreams.
a. Choose an exercise that you enjoy and practice it regularly.
b. Social activities are important.
c. View time away from study as important preparation for effective study.
7. Schedule a regular bedtime and stop studying 30 minutes beforehand to relax.
8. Study according to your own bio-rhythms/study clock.
a. Every person is biologically predisposed to function most efficiently at
specific times of the day (or night).
b. Some of us are “early birds” and others are “night owls.” Most are
in-between.
c. Instead of fighting this, we need to take advantage of it.
d. Determine when you study best and arrange your studies accordingly.
(1) Schedule your most difficult subjects at peak efficiency hours.
(2) Work on easier, more physical projects (e.g. making a graph, compiling a
bibliography) during periods of lower mental efficiency.
9. Personalize your study plan.
a. Learn what works best for you (e.g. if you study best late at night, then do
so).
b. Don’t compare yourself with your friends.
c. Periodically re-evaluate your plan to see if it is meeting your needs.
| Key: The best students may not study longer, but more efficiently…. |
10. Know your concentration span.
a. Take regular breaks, perhaps every 45 minutes.
- Will help you think more clearly and creatively.
b. Take breaks more frequently if you need to.
(1) If you’re tired and just going through the motions, you’re wasting your
time, even if your last break was 15 minutes ago.
(2) Take another break and psyche yourself up for the next round!
c. When taking a break, involve yourself in an activity quite different than studying.
(1) Take a walk, talk to a friend, do some light exercise.
(2) Avoid activities that once started are difficult to pull yourself away form
(e.g. 10 minutes of a favorite T.V. show).
d. Keep breaks consistent in length (e.g. 10 minutes).
11. If you are constantly daydreaming and not comprehending:
a. Stop and take a break.
b. Put stray thoughts on a “worry pad” to look at later.
c. If upon returning to your work you still cannot concentrate, close you book
and perform a self-confrontation.
(1) Ask yourself if you want to study or not, and tell yourself that you are in
charge of your life.
(2) Perform this self-exploration away from your study area (don’t begin to
associate daydreaming, or other non-study activities with your study area).
| Key: Concentration is a learned skill; practice makes perfect. |
E. Where to Study.
1. Find a special place to study - a special chair in the library, a particular table at home.
a. Research: The campus library has been found to be the best place to study.
(1) Fewer distractions.
(2) Less temptation to put your studies aside.
2. Use your study area only for studying - do not write letters, talk with friends, or do other activities.
a. Area will become associated with study.
b. Will concentrate more quickly.
3. Find a quiet area with minimal distractions.
- Avoid studying in an area facing a window or door - it’s to easy to get lost in visual distractions.
4. Avoid studying with T.V. and, in general, music.
a. Research: Lively music decrease reading comprehension but not reading speed.
Since it does not affect reading speed, students are often unaware they are not
accomplishing what they set out to do.
b. However for students prone to inattention and distractibility, soft music may
facilitate studying by providing a more constant noise background.
5. Arrange adequate lighting.
- Avoid contrasts such as a study lamp and a dark room - may lead to eye fatigue.
6. Assemble necessary tools - charts, articles, notebook, etc.
- Nothing is worse than sitting down to do that assignment you’ve put off for days and realizing that though you’re finally ready to get to work, your supplies aren’t!
7. Beware of becoming over comfortable - such as on a bed or sofa.
a. It is best to study at a desk or table - if you try to study and relax at the
same time, you will end up doing neither.
b. Studying is serious business - treat it that way.
F. Rewards of Sticking to Your Study Plan.
1. Development of a ritual - easier to study in future.
a. It is less difficult to study when you have developed habitual activities
that require minimal effort to start and maintain.
b. Less time is wasted trying to decide what should be done next and for how
long.
2. Development of a sense of control.
a. Work broken down into portions is more manageable.
b. Take things day by day and you won’t be overwhelmed by the demands of the
whole semester.
3. Time away from your books can be enjoyed - guilt is decreased.
4. Inertia and apathy are diminished because you are actively doing something.
G. Other Suggestions for More Efficient Time Use.
1. Make a daily to-do list (see Appendix II).
a. Prioritize the most important things and get those things done.
b. Consider the 80/20 rule: 80% of the value often comes from 20% of the tasks,
identify the top 20% and make sure they get done (e.g. you may have ten tasks,
but two of them may provide 80% of the importance - put those two tasks in top
priority).
2. Make a semester calendar.
a. Record due dates for papers, projects, tests.
b. Provides a broad overview of semester responsibilities - will show you where
crunch times are likely.
3. Ideally, you should have your weekly time schedule, a semester calendar with important dates, and daily to-do list.
a. Utilize a twenty minute planning session every evening to review your accomplishments of the day and to map out your plans for tomorrow.
4. Pay attention to your alarm clock.
a. If you decide to get up at 7 am, set your alarm and get your morning started
when it goes off.
b. If you won’t respond to your alarm, you will have a hard time sticking to the
rest of your study plan.
5. Learn to say “no”.
a. Protect your time and set priorities.
b. Don’t overcommit.
c. Don’t say “yes” when you ought to say “no”, develop the habit of saying “let
me think about it.”
d. Remember, you can’t satisfy all people all the time.
6. Try to defy Parkinson’s Law.
a. This law states that work expands to fit the time allotted.
b. Provide yourself with ambitious goals!
A. Why do people procrastinate? Possibilities include:
1. Fear of failure.
2. Fear of success - thinking it will bring on additional responsibility.
3. Problems with authority.
4. Independence/dependence issues.
5. Poor organization skills.
6. Depression.
7. Feel overwhelmed.
B. How to combat procrastination:
1. Use the five minute plan.
- Promise yourself you will work on a project for five minutes and then decide if
you will continue.
- The hardest part is getting started!
2. Use the “alternative” five minute plan.
a. Sit down for five minutes and think about what you have to do. Envision the
consequences of procrastinating and of following through on your work.
b. After thinking this through, go ahead and do what you judge best.
3. Use your momentum - once you get one task complete, go on to another.
4. Break projects down into a series of concrete, manageable sections.
5. Take it one hour at a time.
6. Reward yourself when you finish.
7. Make plans public - once you do this, you may be more motivated to get
started.
8. Identify your interests and abilities. Make sure you are doing what you
really want to do.
9. Do not worry about being perfect! Doing something, getting a draft down on
paper, is better than not doing anything at all.
If these suggestions do not help, or if you have difficulty following through
with these improvement strategies, one-on-one counseling may be the best
approach. It is possible that your difficulties may be caused by personal
conflict. You only have so much psychic energy, and if it is tied up in worrying
about your problems, it is difficult to concentrate on academics.
The UWSP Counseling Center is available for consultation on such concerns. Call
346-3553 to set up an appointment.
TIME SCHEDULE
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SETTING PRIORITIES:
The Basic List
In the left column, list all the things you have to do now and in the near future. After you make the list, rate each item's level of urgency, using "A" for items that are most urgent and "C" for items that are the least urgent. Fill in the date by which each item should be completed. Use the last column to rank the priority of items that must be completed on the same date.
| Things To Do | Urgency A B C | Completed By (Date) | Priority Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|
Now Get to Work on Number 1!
If new tasks occur to you as you're completing the urgent tasks (and they will), add them to the appropriate column, reevaluate the list if necessary and get back to work.
Brown, W. (1993). Student's Guide to Effective Study (2nd Ed.). Iowa City: ACT.
Brown, W. & Holtzman, W. (1987). A Guide to College Survival. Iowa City: ACT.
Fry, R. (1994). How to Study (3rd Ed.). NJ: Career Press.
Get the Most our of College (1991). Association of American Publishers, Inc. NY.
Gibson, S. & Gibson, J. (1993). Making A's in College. Atlanta: Workbooks Press.
Pauk, W. (1993). How to Study in College. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.