Posts filed under 'academics'
What’s that? Grandma and Grandpa invited you to go skiing in the Alps? (I wish!!!) Well you don’t have to turn down the opportunity of a lifetime, but you also don’t want to kill your grades. Here’s how to prep for minimal grade drooping if you know you’re going to miss a few days.
Check the Syllabus
No matter how great the opportunity, you don’t want to skip class if there’s a midterm. Trust me on this one! Professors aren’t going to move the test so you can hit the slopes. So start by checking the syllabus for tests, papers that might be due, or other important deadlines.
Get a Study Buddy
It’s always a good idea to try to make at least one friend in each class. Besides having someone to pass notes to when the lectures get boring, you’ll also have someone to:
- Swap notes with, or borrow notes from if (*cough*) one of you misses class,
- Turn in your paper if you’re sick or (*ahem* ) out of town on the due date,
- Study with, especially if you’re having a hard time with homework or some other concept you may have missed… for some reason
Get Your Work Done Ahead of Time
I think this is pretty self-explanatory, but you won’t want to be doing homework or writing an essay on time off, so get as much done beforehand as you can (especially if you need the aforementioned study buddy to turn it in for you.)
Talk to the Prof (if You Need to)
Your vacation plans may or may not matter to your teachers going to depend on the individual. But if you’re very concerned about a certain course you’re going to be missing, you can always explain the situation and see if they can help you out.
The kind (and generous… and rare!) professor may be willing to let you catch up a bit during office hours, or suggest you attend the course on a different day if he or she has duplicate classes.
photo: CMSeter
February 16th, 2009
Like most students you probably find yourself the least productive at the moment you need to be the most productive. For example, I noticed that whenever I should be studying for finals I suddenly felt the need to clean my room (though I didn’t do that the rest of the quarter)/play Text Twist/do something extremely time consuming like try to make a stop motion film.
Does this sound familiar?
Thought so. Anyway, when you finally do buckle down and decide to get productive, here are a few great places to start streamlining your lifestyle.
1. Schedule Email Time. I bet you would be amazed at how much time you waste by constantly checking your email. (If you want to know exactly how much, you can track it using free time-tracking software like RescueTime !) One of the best time-management tips I can give you is to schedule time for your email–both to read and respond to it–and leave it alone for the rest of the day. Good luck. 
2. Keep Important Docs Online. Stop worrying about carrying your laptop or a flash drive with you everywhere (or worse, emailing yourself) so you can work on your essays whenever you need them. Instead, switch over to using an online doc management system like Google Docs so you can access your favorite excel spreadsheets anytime, anywhere.
3. Turn Off Distractions. When you’re working, work. The best way to actually do your work is to turn off your phone, IM, TV, iPod, and pretty much anything else fun. Stop looking at Facebook and Failblog. Also close your door, and if you need to, ask your roommate to put on headphones. Take 10 minute breaks at regular intervals (every hour, or every 30 minutes if you’re going nuts) to keep your brain moving.
4. Make Lists. One of the BEST ways to make sure you hit all your deadlines is to keep a running to-do list AND a schedule (see how to build a semester study calendar ). I have a running list of things I definitely have to do weekly broken down by days (i.e. Tuesday I do laundry, work, and clean the bathroom). Then I fill in the rest of my to-do list (work on essay, study, meet friends for lunch) around those definite items. It takes a while to get used to writing it down, but after a while it works great.
5. Just Do It. Nike was right: productivity and procrastination can never be BFFs. The biggest secret to getting things done is to just DO them. Make this your motto and you’ll be productive; desert it and all you’ll have to celebrate at the end of the day is the completion of a Project Runway marathon (I should know!). So when you see socks on the floor, pick them up instead of stepping over them. When you see your textbook on your bed, flip through it instead of turning on the TV.
Happy time managing, my friends. (And please share your own secrets if you have them!)
photo: Pencils by TouTouke
January 30th, 2009
I know it’s only been a few weeks since New Years, but who else has already broken their resolutions?
What is it that makes goal setting so exciting, and goal-achieving so…well… so seemingly un-doable? I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately, and comparing the goals I am keeping with the ones I’m not. The differences are pretty simple, and they make a huge difference in keeping up that I CAN DO IT!!! attitude we all start out with.
Here are my personal secrets to success when it comes to setting–and reaching–my goals.
Write it Down.
Have you heard this before? It’s the same concept as “out of sight, out of mind” but reversed–if you write something down and see it every day, it sticks with you. It runs around in your head, it bothers you, sometimes even seems to mock you. And eventually all the pestering from those little thoughts makes you do something about it. So write it down. Easy.
Break it Down.
Sure, it would be great if you could just write down your goal to BECOME A MILLIONAIRE BY THIRTY and just leave it at that, but does that feel doable when you look at it that way?
Not really.
So break down your goals into smaller, more specific, more achievable goals. One of my focuses this year is to be healthier, but I don’t just expect that to happen. So I made mini-goals, like so:
- BE HEALTHIER
- Only eat one dessert per day (sad, but this is hard for me)
- Eat healthy snacks instead of junk food
- Walk more (like walking to class instead of taking the shuttle)
Be Realistic.
As part of my getting-healthier thing, I would want to work out every day at the gym. Except that I HATE going to the gym, it costs money, I don’t have time every day, and a lot of times I don’t have access to a car to get there. So that goal is ridiculous for me, totally unrealistic.
Instead, I’m going to make every effort to make my body work harder to do every day things. I’m going to go up and down stairs more often, skip the elevator and escalator, and do exercises at home on a regular schedule.
Be Consistent.
Make your rules for yourself, and stick to them. It is hard to do, but even harder to get back on the bandwagon once you’ve slipped.
Be Forgiving.
Of yourself that is. Yes, you want to be consistent. You want to stick with it. But don’t beat yourself up if you slip up! That will only discourage you. Give yourself a Get Out of Jail Free card, get over the guilt, and get back to working toward that goal!
photo: Focus by CraigP
January 19th, 2009
It’s November, and that means crunch time before the wonderfulness of Thanksgiving and Winter breaks! Don’t let yourself get beaten down by your workload–prep now so you can relax later.
Break it Down
Okay first things first–mark all the dates of your upcoming projects, presentations, and tests on your calendar. It sounds simplistic but you’d be surprised how quickly things pile up when you’re not expecting them. Then make those days clearly visible on your calendar by making them a different, bright color.
…Red for doom seems appropriate.
“Guesstimate” Your Work Load
Did your middle school teachers use that word as much as mine did?
Sorry, off topic. What I mean is try to guess how much time it will take you to get your studying/work/research done for each of the items you just wrote down, add two to four hours for interruptions, and WRITE DOWN YOUR GUESSTIMATED TIME. Otherwise you will forget.
**TIP: If you’re doing a project with someone else, I would add a considerable amount of extra time, like a few hours, to your guesstimate. Group projects often put more weight on the hard workers, and if you’re making a study calendar, that means you’re it. So save your grade and give yourself some leeway.
Schedule Your Time
Now that you’ve got your time guesstimates and your due dates, it’s time to mark out your work time. If you start now you should be early enough to spread out study for finals and get projects done without a lot of cramming and brain-numbing textbook skimming.
Start by spreading out your subjects based on:
1.) What is due first, and
2.) Which will take the most work.
Obviously these two criteria will determine which things come first, but this is basically up to your discretion–you know how you work best and what takes you longest. Make sure you spread out your work, though, so you don’t end up cramming for any one thing at the end OR suffer from subject burnout.
**TIP: When you schedule your work blocks in each calendar square, schedule play blocks, too, and stick to both. You need both work and play to feel accomplished and human when life gets hectic!
REschedule Your Time
You might choose to do this every day or every week, but make a regular habit of sitting down and revising your calendar. Maybe you finish a project early–use the leftover time to get a jump on something else. Took longer than you thought to write that French paper? Better allot some extra study time to your Chem class in next week’s schedule.
Cross off Your Finished Work
You don’t have to do this, but I always find it cathartic to scribble out something I’ve finished and give it that final “Hasta La Vista!!!”
Good luck… Remember to hold on to that light at the end of the tunnel–Winter Break!!!
photo: calendar by lupy2002
November 17th, 2008
Office hours-that little block of time during which your professor is actually available to talk to you, one-on-one, about (almost) anything you want. Dropping in for just a few minutes could be the best use of your time this week (and next week… and the week after…). Here’s why…
- You Want an A. If you want to get an A in a course, attending your professor’s office hours can be one of the easiest ways to get there. Here you finally have the time (and smaller group or even one-on-one setting) to ask the professor questions. Discuss problems you are having in the class, get suggestions for how/where/what to study and hey, if you’re feeling brave, ask some questions about the upcoming test.
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- You’re Applying for a Scholarship… or Med School. Guess what scholarships and med schools both want? Letters of recommendation. How can you get a good one if you’re sitting in a lecture-hall-sea of faces? Well, you probably can’t. Spending one-on-one time getting to know your professor will make him or her more likely to be comfortable writing you one of these letters at the end of the quarter or semester. They’ll know what kind of student you are, what kind of person you are, and hopefully feel a friendship towards you that makes them want to help.
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- You Might Learn to Keep Your Eyes Open. If you’re having trouble staying awake in class, one sure-fire way to keep yourself alert is to make sure the professor knows your name. You’re not going to want to doze off if there’s potential that your grade could suffer-or you could get called out in the middle of class. Not the most fun way, maybe, but certainly effective!
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- You’ll Meet New People. You may be attending office hours for other reasons (like to get in the running for an internship, for example) but you could be surprised how enjoyable they can be. You may find yourself enjoying your newfound friendship (or mentee-ship) with your professor, and if his/her office hours are popular, you’ll meet other like-minded people from similar courses. The conversations that break out during these more casual meetings can be a lot of fun.
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- You… Um… Still Want an A. Let’s say you’ve been attending office hours for a few weeks, clearly making an effort in the class, and you mess up on a test. Office hours are the perfect opportunity to discuss this discrepancy with your professor-whether you’re hoping for a curved grade or just need help figuring out what went wrong, this is the time and place to discuss it.
Oh, and if you did something stupid like sleeping through a test, you’re more likely to get some kind of forgiveness from a professor you know than from one who’s never even noticed you in class.
photo: Lunch dreaming by qute
September 22nd, 2008
I always meant to be productive during finals week. Really. I scheduled, I planned, and then when it came down to it, I suddenly gave in to this incredible urge to write 6 blog posts and thoroughly clean my room. After all, cleaning my room was important, right?
Eliminating Distractions
A truly useful study hour (or week) means a lot of will power-and if you don’t have a lot, you have to make things a little easier on yourself. Here are my top distraction factors of college life, and how to tackle them. Be warned-these are REALLY easy, and REALLY obvious. The hard part is following through!
- Problem: Studying is Boring. Compared to the party down the hall, the new Will game your roommate is playing, and all those DVDs stacked over your desk, studying is BORING.
Solution: Change Venues. You know what makes studying seem more interesting? A silent school library. You’ll start studying just to escape the monotony of all that QUIET! So go somewhere quiet and subdued so you can focus in on your study material-and make sure you don’t enable yourself with other distractions like…
- Problem: The Internet. Talk about the biggest distraction ever. Aside from surfing, you have email, IM, MySpace/Facebook/etc., blogs (to write or read), YouTube, and millions of online games to distract you.
Solution: Um… Turn Off the Internet. *GASP* Can you imagine being cut off from the net?!? It really is the easiest way to avoid distractions though–even if you put up an away message, you’re still going to be tempted to check people’s profile messages, scan through Facebook, and check your email every minute or so. So if you have wireless, turn off your card. If you’re plugged in, pull the Ethernet cable. You can do it!
- Problem: Sleepiness. If only you hadn’t stayed up all night watching Simpson’s reruns with your BFF! Maybe then you could focus on your OChem instead of cat napping face-down on one of the library computer keyboards!
Solution: Sleep & Learning to Stay Awake (without Coffee). So, first and easiest solution, is to get a good night’s rest before you start studying. If it’s too late for that, then learn the secrets to staying awake while you’re studying (you can see more tips here, too). Remember, caffeine is a bad way to go because your body can get dependent on it.
- Problem: Cell Phones. Maybe you’re ignoring calls, but just one more text message wouldn’t hurt, right…?
Solution: Again… Turn it Off. Sometimes the temptation is too strong-your crush is calling, your roommate is texting, you just want to download one more ringtone… So turn your phone off. I know it feels like severing a limb, but at least you can turn it back on when studying is over.
- Problem: Hunger. How are you supposed to study when your stomach is growling?
Solution: Snacks & Food Breaks. College students are notorious for NOT eating during study time, but this is a BAD idea. Your brain needs fuel if you want it to work. If you’re in for the long haul, you have a couple of options. First, bring (healthy!) snacks like granola, nuts, fruit, etc. (cheese puffs aren’t going to give you the energy you need). Second, take a break and head over to the caf for a meal. That’s the time to turn on your cell, meet up with a friend, or pull out the Sudoku for a little break from study time.
- Problem: Music. Some people study better with music on, others just start lip-synching, head-bobbing, or buying more music on iTunes.
Solution: Leave Your Headphones at Home. On purpose. When you head off to your quite study zone, you’re going to find yourself very unpopular if you try to listen to music without those babies-which is the perfect motivation to leave your tunes off.
Didn’t I say these were ridiculously easy? Think you can do it?
photo: Library of Light by hhsara
September 18th, 2008
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