This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SAU chapter.
Here are 7 tips to stay on top of school work
- Pay Attention to the Syllabus- The best way to stay on top of your assignments is to be aware of what’s going on in class. You can do this by checking your class syllabus often. A syllabus will spell out what assignments or readings are due and on which date. Write down all these due dates in your planner so you don’t forget them.
- Set aside time to read and work on your assignments- Another way to ensure you stay on top of your assignments and reading is to set aside time to do them. You will be much more likely to do your work if you plan time for it. When you schedule time, you can also intentionally choose the time when you work best.
- Set goals- In addition to setting aside time to work on your assignments, you should also set goals for yourself if you want to stay on top of your schoolwork. A good goal to start with would be to dedicate a certain amount of time to an assignment and to finish it on a predetermined day.
- Pace yourself- Although it’s important to get all your work done, you also don’t want to burn yourself out as you stay on top of your work. For this reason, you should pace yourself. Don’t wait until the last minute before the assignment is due to get started on it. Instead, plan to complete the assignment over the course of a few days.
- Eliminate distractions during your study sessions- When you actually sit down to start your planned studying or reading session, you need to eliminate the distractions in your space. Distractions will keep you from focusing on your work.
- Ask for help if you need it- We tend to procrastinate on tasks we struggle with and try to avoid them. Unfortunately, you can’t procrastinate if you want to stay on top of your assignments. Instead, ask someone for help when you’re stuck. The best person you could ask for help would be your professor, attending their office hours is the perfect time to do it. If you can’t reach your professor, you go to a tutoring session. When you ask for help, you will have no excuse to procrastinate on that difficult assignment.
- Reward yourself- Finally, once you have finished your work, reward yourself! It doesn’t need to be anything extravagant, but you could give yourself more time to watch Netflix, have a special dessert, or sleep in. You’ve earned it!
