College Success: Midterms are coming. Everyone who's freaking out, raise your hands.

This is a point in the semester when the number of students seeking my help increases dramatically.  Sadly, I hear all too often,  "I'm so freaked out!"  "I don't know if I'm gonna pass my midterms." "I am so overwhelmed I don't know where to start."

The primary reason people find themselves feeling like this is because they haven't made college a priority and therefore haven't done the amount of work that's required.  Period.  I can't tell you how many students admit that, in the sixth or seventh week of the semester, they haven't yet opened their textbooks.  Seriously. And they wonder why they're freaked out.

But I'm not here to scold or shame anyone.  I'd like to help.  Here are some tips to help you make a plan to study for midterms:


1.  Schedule time to study.
Yes, I said schedule.  Block out chunks of time on your calendar for each course and stick to the plan.

2.  Find a quiet place to study where you will not be interrupted.
Your room (but not on your bed), dining room (if you live alone), the campus Library, the public library, the campus Learning Center.  Be sure to sit at a desk or table with good light, and a sturdy chair to support your back.  Your bed or sofa is too comfy, and you might be tempted to grab a quick nap when you had planned to study.

3.  Gather your materials
Pull together your textbooks, notebooks, and any other relevant materials for each course, including Power Point slides, homework, quizzes, writing assignments.  Have all of the school supplies you'll need for each subject, and a clock to manage your time (one with a timer is even better).

4.  Divide and conquer
Put the materials for each course in separate piles.  Tackle the subject you've scheduled first, and set the timer to one hour.  Study one chapter only during this time.  Breaking it down to smaller tasks will make you feel less overwhelmed, and you'll be more motivated to continue.

5.  Plan how to study
Start with your textbook, and review the questions at the end of each chapter.  If you can correctly answer most of them, you're on the right track; if not, take the time to read the chapter again.  Use your class notes as well, because a lot of information professors offer during a lecture often doesn't come from the book. Since they made the effort to give more material to help you understand, it will likely be on a test. 

A tip I use when studying is to copy my notes over in another notebook.  This gives me the freedom to scribble down what I can in class.  Not only do I end up with neatly organized notes, I remember what I'm writing and it helps me to better understand the topic.  Index cards as a study tool works well, too.

If you need help with taking notes or studying for exams, please visit the nice people in the Learning Center in Elston 523.

6.  Attend review sessions, study groups, professor's office hours

If your professor offers review sessions, GO.  Bring questions you have, and be prepared to add to your notes.  You may also consider getting a study buddy, or start a study group for each class. Sometimes another student can explain things in terms that another student can understand.

7.  Set reasonable goals
Don't plan to study more than an hour at a time; your brain can handle only so much at once.  Which leads me to... 

8.  Give yourself a break!
Plan a break to give your mind and body a rest after each hour of studying. The best breaks include some type of physical exercise: 10-minute fast walk outside, stretching exercises for the muscles that tighten as we concentrate so hard are great, a phone call with your BFF, healthy food break, and whatever else may work for you.  Break for no more than 15-20 minutes, so you can get back to studying feeling refreshed and motivated; more than that will set you up to extend the break to 30 minutes...an hour...two...  You get my point.

9.  Tips for the night before an exam

Stop studying at least an hour before you go to bed.  You've done a lot of work to prepare, so be confident in what you know.  Do something unrelated to studying, like watching a favorite TV show, a hot shower, catch up on Facebook, and so on.  Wind down to prepare yourself to get a good night's rest (as corny as that sounds)...at least 8 hours.  Research has proven that students perform better when they are alert and calm.

10.  Exam Day
Eat breakfast, get to campus early and take time to relax.  Breathing deeply for a few minutes can help calm your jitters and get you focused.  Do not study more; cramming will do nothing but get you whipped up into a tizzy and you'll undo all of the great studying you've done.  Let your mind rest so you're ready to go in there and nail it.



Source:  http://www.nkaleidoscope.com/confetti/2012/01/13/how-to-prepare-for-midterm-exams/
(All images courtesy of Google Images, unless otherwise indicated.)

(c) Copyright 2012-2014 Robyn M.Posson King.  All Rights Reserved.

College Success: Tips for a Successful Semester



Image:  redhotpepperspray.com

You know the drill...on the first day of every semester, you're happy to be on campus, your hopes and confidence for academic success are high, and you're absolutely certain that any old behaviors, personal drama, job demands and/or family responsibilities that previously held you back (in high school or in a previous semester) will no longer be an issue.  THIS semester will be different.  You're sure of that.

Image:  eduinreview.com

 

Then...around week five of the semester, things start to shift.  You're feeling the full impact of what being a college student entails.  Papers and classroom presentations are coming due.  Midterm exams are right around the corner.  You have a group project to contribute to.  Your boss/significant other/friends/family/etc. are getting on your nerves, you're feeling overwhelmed by all you need to do...and you haven't even opened your textbook yet.  The behaviors you swore were behind you begin creeping back in.  How did you get into this crazy predicament...again???

Here are some suggestions and tips to improve your skills and have a more successful semester:


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Managing your time is crucial.  It's virtually impossible to get everything done on time if you are not organized.  If you don't own a planner, get one (or download an app on your mobile device...just be sure it's something you will look at several times a day).  When you get the syllabus (course outline) for each class, put all of the important information on your planner--including reading assignments, quizzes, midterm and final exam dates, research paper and/or class presentation due dates.  Then block out your work schedule, family obligations, outside appointments, etc. every week. Finally, schedule two hours of study time each week for every credit for which you're registered (ex:  taking 15 credits X 2 hours study time = 30 hours study time every week).   If you need assistance with this process, meet with a professional staff member in the Learning Center in Elston 523.



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Procrastination is a college student's worst enemy.  If you have procrastinated (and still have done well) in the past, don't be fooled by the belief that you only get good grades when you get things done last minute.  This will not work in college.  You have a busy life, class requirements seem to become due around the same time, and leaving work to the last minute will make you feel crazy and overwhelmed.  The worst part is that you will not have learned the topic as well as you could have, causing you trouble next semester, such as if the course you're taking is a prerequisite for another course.  Get organized and stay current with your work.

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Your course syllabus is a contract between you and your professor.  It clearly defines the professor's responsibilities, the rules and regulations for how the class is structured and the behaviors expected, and what is expected of you as a student and how your grade will be determined.  If after reading and going over the syllabus, you're not willing or are unable to do everything required, then drop the class.  However, if you choose to stay in the class, it is understood that you agree to and are bound by the conditions of the course syllabus. 

Image:  saintraymond.net

Successful students ask for help when they need it.  Professors list their office hours on the syllabus, and this is when you can get extra help (before and after your class may not be convenient, as the professor may need to get to another class).  Also, SCCC offers many other services to help students succeed (Counseling, Tutoring, Learning Center, Math Lab, Accounting Lab, TRIO, Computer Lab,
Employment Services) and they are all FREE to registered students. 

Image:  Google Images

The way in which you read a textbook or took notes in high school will no longer work in college.  If you're struggling with how to effectively tackle your reading assignments, and take better, more organized notes, meet with a professional staff member in the Learning Center.

Go to class every day, get there on time, and show up prepared.  Do your reading assignments before class, write down questions you want to ask the professor.  Bring a notebook and something to write with every time.  Focus on the class only (no texting, talking, or other shenanigans), and take notes during the lecture.  Show the same respect for your professors and class mates that you require them to give you.

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Set your priorities and get comfortable with saying "no."  College must be your first priority.  If you need to do homework, start a paper, or read for tomorrow morning's lecture, then you need to turn down other activities.  Say no.  If it is your priority to finish college with the best grades you can earn in the shortest amount of time possible, you have to focus on that priority and say no to anything that gets in the way of that.

Image:  lsua.edu

Develop a good relationship with your faculty advisor.  Your advisor is perhaps the most important person in your college experience.  He/she will advise and guide you toward graduation, but because you are an adult and are in control, you make the final decisions about what to do.  Your advisor can also refer you to campus support services, tell you about internships in your field, and even write a recommendation letter for getting into another college or for a job.  

The secret to this is getting to know your advisor, and having them get to know you.  Drop in during office hours (posted on their door) and let them know how you're doing, what your career goals are, and so on.  Your advisor can be an awesome ally to have...but you have to take the first step to make it happen.

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Well, these tips are enough to get you started.  Talk with your professors, advisor, a counselor, coach or mentor to help get you on (and keep you on) the right track toward academic success...this semester and beyond.  Good luck!

QUESTION:  What tips do you have for academic success?

(c) 2011-2016 Robyn King.  All Rights Reserved.



Keeping the balls in the air: Juggling college with the rest of your life

We all lead busy lives.  (I know...duh.)  We have many responsibilities to ourselves and others that take up a good deal of our time.  Having a full-time job, a spouse or significant other, kids, going out with friends, volunteer activities, caring for a sick family member...all of these contribute to our very full schedules.  Don't you sometimes wonder how we get it all done in the 168 hours we're alloted every week?

When we make the decision to pursue a college education, we're adding a HUGE task to juggle with the rest.  How do college students manage to keep all the balls in the air?  The truth is, they can't and don't, and in all honesty, they shouldn't expect to.  Some things simply have to take a back seat when you go to college.  For reals.

I realize that statement is one you probably didn't want to hear.  We're expected to "do it all" and "git 'er done," and be all things to all people, but it's virtually impossible when you choose to come to college.  So how does one make the best of it?  There are three keys to getting everything done with your sanity intact:  setting priorities, time management, and organization.

Setting priorities is the first thing to do.  Make a list of everything that you have to do in any particular week.  Include things like work, commuting to work and campus, the kids' activities, class time, laundry, sleep, study time, household chores, grocery shopping, recreational activities, etc.  Then put a "1" next to the five most important things that must be done by you--in other words, no one else can do it.  (Note:  it is assumed that "doing well in and finishing college" is a "1.")  Put a "2" next to the three important tasks that you need to do, but with less urgency.  Finally, put a "3" next to the three tasks that, if you didn't do them, your life wouldn't fall apart.  Now...do you have any items that didn't get assigned a number?  Delegate these to a family member or friend, or perhaps they can be put on hold indefinitely.

Time management is the next hurdle to tackle.  You will need a weekly planner, and a monthly calendar that you can hang on the wall.  Now that you have your tasks prioritized, you can begin to schedule them (yes, I said schedule) in your planner and on the wall calendar.  Start with the "1's" and then the "2's".  When finding study time in your week, remember to allow 2 hours of study for every credit you're taking.  If you're registered for 15 credits, you need to find 30 hours every week to study; six credits requires 12 hours of study time.  Take all of your course syllabi (outlines) and write in all of your quizzes, exams, and research paper due dates.  If you have kids who are school-aged, include their vacation weeks (be sure you have reliable child-care--and a reliable backup--because our college vacations do not coincide with the public school calendars).

Take a look at your planner.  Is there enough time to get your priority tasks done?  Yes?  Great.  No?  Then you need to go back to your priority list and either get rid of something or delegate it for someone else to do.  Do you need to cut your hours at work?  Will you have to turn down the invitation to be your kid's homeroom parent?  Say no to going out every Saturday night, shopping or taking a trip?

You may find sticking to this super-tight schedule to be difficult because you're not accustomed to it.  It will help if you make a habit of looking at your calendar at least 3 times each day:  when you first wake up, in the middle of the day, and after dinner.  If you stay with it, in time it will feel like second nature...eventually you won't be able to function without your planner!  (If you need additional assistance with time management, visit the Learning Center in Elston 528.)

The last step is getting organized.  Now that you know how your time is being spent each week, choose a day (Sunday, perhaps?) to get ready for the rest of the week.  Put together the clothes you and your kids will wear each day so no time will be wasted wondering what to put on.  Get your backpack ready so you can walk out the door on time.  Plan your meals and perhaps get acquainted with how to use a Crock-Pot, or cook all of your

meals ahead of time so they can be warmed up later.  Look over this week's schedule...do you have a quiz or a paper due?  A doctor's appointment?  Do you need to arrange transportation for yourself or the kids?  Get all of your prep work for the week completed, so you'll feel less stressed and ready to tackle your busy schedule.

Another very important way to stay organized is to find a dedicated space where you will do homework, write your papers, complete reading assignments and study...uninterrupted.  Whether it's in your home office, bedroom, the Learning Center or Library, find one place where you won't be bothered and go there when your schedule tells you to.  It's absolutely impossible to get any school work done when the television is blasting, you're trying to get the kids to bed, or the phone won't stop ringing.  You need a quiet space to help you do the best work you're capable of.  One more thing...be sure you have everything you need to get your work done, such as paper, pens, textbook, laptop.  Turn off the phone and get crackin'.

Coming to college will no doubt put you closer to your personal and career goals, but it is an enormous addition to our already-busy lives.  Setting your priorities, effectively managing your time and staying organized will help keep most of the balls in the air.

QUESTION:  How do you manage your life?

(c) 2011 Robyn M. Posson