We’re almost halfway through fall semester, and with the excitement of the leaves changing and the holidays approaching comes the real work. With exams, papers, and projects being thrown at you from every direction, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and want to hide away in your dorm room until winter break. Here’s a few things I’ve found to be helpful along the way:
1. Break it up into smaller pieces.
I know this one seems pretty basic, but it’s also the one I always have trouble implementing. Don’t just say you’re going to do research Monday, outline Tuesday, and start your paper on Wednesday. Write out the times you’re going to do your work each day and treat them like you would a class or a club meeting.
2. Reach out to the academic resource center, the writing center, or your professor.
It can be intimidating or even embarrassing to approach a tutor you don’t know or a professor you respect, but one of the best parts of going to a small liberal arts school like Muhlenberg is getting the one-on-one time you need to learn and grow as a scholar. All of these people want to help you succeed, and if all else fails, remember you’re paying a hefty tuition to go here, so make the most of it!
3. Make a study group.
Sometimes it can feel like you’re the only one struggling in a class, but if you’re lost, there’s a decent change that someone else is too. Introduce yourself and set up a good time you can meet. Having more people around gives you more brainpower to solve problems and work out concepts you don’t understand, and when you’re done, you can all celebrate together over the fact that you did it!
4. Find your “method.”
Not every study method will work for you because every person learns differently. I’ve found that writing terms and concepts on index cards and going through them over and over again works best for me. Write it all out on a big chalkboard so you can connect all of your ideas and see the big picture, rewrite your notes, leave post-its with definitions on your mirror, read it out loud to yourself or have someone else repeat it back to you, try whatever you can think of until the material clicks.
5. Don’t beat up yourself over things that have already happened.
You studied really hard and still managed to fail that big test. What now? While it may be tempting to tell yourself you’re stupid or just give up on the class, it’s important to remember we’re all human. Moving forward, ask your professor how you can improve. Speak up in class if you need something to be explained again, or in a different way. Most importantly, end each week by going over anything you may have missed or had trouble understanding so that you’re not in a panic the next time you have an important exam or assignment.
6. Find your calming words.
When you’re stressed, it’s important to put things in perspective and redirect your focus to what matters most. Your focus can be anything from “I’m gonna make the most of the opportunities that my parents never had” to “I’m going to use this knowledge to help other people” to “it’s not the end of the world.” Think of the thing that drives you and use it to keep going!
You’ve got this!