“I’m only taking four classes, why can’t I keep up with my work?” Being able to organize and manage one’s time in college is a big part of academic success. There are a number of reasons why students lack this critical skill set. Increasingly, they get used to parents and teachers overseeing their work. Perhaps, more critical is short attention span. Text limits of 140 characters, high speed video games, Instagram and Facebook have trained students’ brains to focus for short periods of time. They are easily distracted.
These skills can be developed. I advise students when selecting courses to create a master plan. This can either be electronic or printable, but should include every class and assignment for the semester. This gives students a comprehensive overview of what is coming up throughout the semester so they can schedule accordingly.
The plan includes grouping class time together. Students think scheduling classes with time in between will allow them to get more work done. Instead, 50 minutes between classes becomes time to catch up on emails, text, grab a latte, but not study. Block scheduling classes gives students longer periods of consolidated time to get work done. Be sure to include time for writing center and tutoring help if needed.
These next suggestions seem obvious. Attend classes and keep up with assignments. Students who attend classes do not have to learn new material from scratch, which takes significantly longer. Also, material is retained better if the student is familiar with it before class. Read the assignments before lectures. Look over problem sets before class so questions can be asked in class, rather than taking additional time to attend office hours. Don’t be tempted to defer completing assignments. Doing them all along will make the student more efficient and cut down on overall study time.
Students should not spend too much time on one subject. It is tempting to concentrate on a favorite subject or one you are good at, but grades in the other three or four classes will suffer. The other classes account for 70 to 80 percent of the student’s overall grade point average.
Be sure to schedule time for exercise, sleep and fun.
Maria Badami, MS is a college advisor with College Directions of CNY in Fayetteville. 243-6658. [email protected].
