MindBody Connection - November, 2007
Making the Most of Your Study Time
by Kathy Lanese, Physical Education Instructor, Head Cross Country and Track Distance Coach
Beep...beep...beep! It's 8 a.m. and the alarm sounds. Before you know it, you are ravenous and ready for a "bag-it" lunch on the run at 2 p.m. Yawn. You look at your watch as it reads 1:30 a.m. Where has the time gone?
This brief example may be a typical day for many college students, but it is actually time moving on. College students often report that their inability to manage their time is the biggest problem they face in college. Time management is a skill few people master well, but it is one skill that most people need.
At Case Western Reserve University, your education, the people you meet, and the attitudes you develop can pave a path that will guide you for the remainder of your life. Organization, management skills, social skills, and respectable grades will be especially important in landing your first job or when applying to graduate schools. Managing your time well breeds success and can actually lower your anxiety levels.
The Basics
- Prioritize your life. Study! There is no substitute.
- Attend class and SI sessions.
- Do all class assignments.
- Develop self discipline to manage your time.
- Plan ahead and work backward.
No matter how you slice it, there are 24 hours in a day and 119 waking hours a week (seven hours of sleep each night). Remember — this is really self management, not time management.
- Prioritize: Make school achievement your top priority. This is your path to your future opportunities.
- Study: There is no substitute. There are many styles and methods that people find helpful but there is one fact that stands true. In order to do well in a course, you need to learn the material.
- Do not just read or do assignments. You must understand the material. (Do you know the subject matter well enough to teach it to someone else?)
- Forget pulling "all-nighters." This is merely borrowing tomorrow's time and making you less functional.
- Understand your instructor. Each instructor has the attitude similar to one of the following. He/she wants you to learn the material, and wants grading to be fair and reflect student's knowledge. Understand what the instructor wants by paying attention to the instructor's patterns, what he or she emphasizes, etc. Do not be afraid to ask how they test.
- Attend class — always. The importance of class attendance is to fully understand what your professor expects, but attending class is also the basis of your foundation for life. As you enter the work force, would your boss mind if you did not show up for work? School is your job and attendance may help with a borderline grade.
- Assignments: Most of your work is being graded by a human being. Write legibly and supply any comments that will help clarify your work. Do not assume your correct answer on assignments implies you have mastered the material. Look at problems from a broad perspective.
- Self Discipline/Management: Procrastination is our principal enemy. Take a look at some procrastination statements: "One more day before starting my paper will not make a difference. It won't matter if I am a few minutes late. I'll watch television for just 15 more minutes." You get the idea.
- Learn to say NO to additional requests once your priorities are set. It is only a two-letter word.
- Turn off your cell phone and other electronics that will distract you.
- Use a calendar to allocate your time. Plan ahead by working backwards from the deadline and use calendars to plan your exams, papers, and activities on a monthly, then weekly, and finally, on a daily basis.
- Start with your BIG goal, and then work toward your smaller objectives to get there.
- Schedule time for fitness and study breaks. Your brain works best when you have sufficient oxygen. Work for a while — whatever length of time works for you — then take a shorter 'reward' break (but be disciplined). Good time management can lower anxiety and stress levels.
- One last message: Wear a watch.
For more information on time management, check out this Time Management Guide or a guide to Student Success.
Issue 24