As the semester is winding down, I’m sure almost everyone is completely bogged down with work, and extremely stressed about exams and final papers. With only a few weeks left, it’s important that we stay motivated and finish the semester strong. I am an academic mentor at the Center for Academic Resources, or more commonly referred to as CFAR. My job consists of meeting with students one on one and helping them to come up with new strategies to help them succeed in the classroom. In my time as a mentor, I have found that there are some key issues that a lot of students have trouble with, so I figured I would write about some common suggestions that I tell my students, for anyone who is struggling in their classes.
Read ALL of your syllabi.
Remember that thing that was given to you on the first day of class? The thing that you probably put in a folder and said “I’ll look at it later” but haven’t looked at since? You should probably take that out and look it over. The syllabus is your professors way of telling you the best way to prepare for the class. It is a guidebook that tells you exactly what the professor thinks you need to do to pass. So take it out of that folder, look it over, and you might be surprised by what’s in there.
Write down ALL upcoming assignments and tests.
I know that this seems pretty obvious and self-explanatory, but there are a surprising amount of people who do not write down when their assignments are due. You do not want that big 10 page essay to surprise you when you find out it’s due in two days. Write down everything that gets assigned, so you can create a plan to get everything done in a timely fashion. While going over your syllabus, you can write down all of the dates of major assignments and exams that are listed. Stop into CFAR and pick up a semester long calendar so you can have all your major assignments written in one place.
Find a time tracker that works for you.
In high school, every second of your day was planned out for you. College is a completely different story. No one is telling you what to do, when to wake up, making sure you get all your homework done, or checking in with you about your daily plan. Now that you are on your own, you have to make sure that you are managing your time. There are many ways to do this. You could use a planner, apple or google calendar, use an app, or sticky notes. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Some people need every minute of their day planned out in order to stay productive, while others only need a general guideline. This plan could be created at night, so when you wake up, you already know what has to be done that day, or it could be made in the morning when you first wake up. You can do whatever works best for you.
Preview and review class material.
We have all been there, an exam is approaching quickly and you haven’t looked at the material since the day it was taught in class four weeks ago. Good news: this can be avoided! I understand that everyone is busy, so it is not always possible to look over material before and after every class, which is why it can be done within 24 hours of the lecture. This doesn’t have to mean extra hours of studying, it can be as simple as 10-15 minutes. For previewing, you could go over slides that are going to be covered during class, and for reviewing you could take a look at your notes after class and see what areas are your strongest and what you are having the most trouble with.
Read. The. Textbook.
One of the most common complaints that I get from my students is that they are frustrated with the pace that their professors teach at. The thing that many people don’t understand is, professors are going into the class with the expectation that their students have already read the textbook and are familiarized with the material (remember previewing?). The professor is not going to teach with the same amount of detail as the textbook. The book is your best friend for helping you to learn more complicated topics in the class, finding practice problems, examples, and key vocab.
Go to office hours.
While you may be struggling to get through a really boring class, this topic is the professor’s entire career. They are passionate about it, and it makes them feel good to know that their students are actively trying to understand the material. It helps them to put a face to the name on a roster, and proves to them that you are putting in an effort, which could (potentially) make them more willing to extend deadlines or give you extra credit. Plus, it can be really helpful if you have questions about the material. If their office hours do not work with yours, email them and I’m sure they will be happy to meet with you.
Take breaks when studying.
No one can focus on schoolwork for hours at a time. It is simply not possible for your brain to retain any more information after hours and hours of studying. It is best to study in small blocks, and take timed breaks. Try to study for 20-30 minutes, and reward yourself with a 10 minute break where you can go on your phone, take a walk around campus, or grab a snack. Follow this method in order to keep yourself sane, because after studying for a really long time, eventually the notes will start to blend together and the meaning of them will be lost.
Write what the professor is saying, not what is on the slide.
In class it is so easy to just copy down the words on the slide, and call it a day. This takes absolutely zero brain power, and will not help you to remember the material. The slides will most likely be made available to you through canvas, while what your professor says will only be available to you in class. For this reason, don’t worry about trying to write down everything really fast before they change the slide. Try to write down what they are saying now, and look to posted slides later when studying.
Study in groups.
Typically, people thrive when doing group work. Having friends to bounce ideas and questions off of can really help to not only memorize, but understand the material. Chances are, you will understand some material that they don’t, and vice versa. It also helps to take turns teaching each other so you can see what you truly understand, and where you’re lacking in information. If you can successfully teach someone a topic, then you know that you’ve got it down. Saying it out loud can really help with memory retention!
Take care of yourself.
Many college students forget about this step, but it is super important to make sure that you are healthy. Try your best to get 8(ish) hours of sleep a night, eat three meals a day (including veggies!), and exercise to get your blood pumping, and to help you feel confident in your body. Make sure to do your skin care routine every morning and night, trust me, you will feel so much better when you are moisturized and pimple free. When you are well rested, healthy, and happy, it will be so much easier for you to motivate yourself to get your work done. Now, take a deep breath, and remember, you are so close to the end of the semester! You’ve got this.