My freshman students said that one thing that surprised them
about college was the large amount of “free time” they had. Given that they are spending only about 15 –
16 hours a week in class that is understandable. The danger is that, with so much time,
students won’t do anything because it is too easy to put off whatever you do
not want to do.
The general rule of thumb is that you should be studying
about 2 hours outside of class for every hour in class. If that is the case, your 15 credit load
suddenly has become 45 hours of work – equal to a full time job!
Here are some ways to make the best use of your time:
·
Get into the habit of studying first before you
do anything else. Go to the Library
after class. Review the notes from class
that day and start to learn them.
·
Keep a master calendar where you record every
major exam, project, paper, etc. That
way you can look ahead and start early to prepare or complete the project.
·
Set early, false deadlines for projects and papers. There is always a last-minute problem such as
no printer ink, no money to pay for printing, etc.
·
Work ahead on reading assignments. Different times during the semester you will
feel swamped, so it is nice to have a cushion.
·
Start to study for exams about a week prior to
the date.
·
Consider getting a part-time job or volunteering
in your field. Having more to do will
make you manage your time better and either one will give your resume a boost.
Remember that as the semester progresses you will have more
work and more material to learn. Don’t
get lulled into a false sense of security at the beginning when you seem to
have so much time on your hands.
Next week – what to do when you sit down to “study.”
*****
First Semester Success: Learning Strategies and Motivation for Your First Semester (or Any Semester) of College, by Dr. Arden B. Hamer, is available at amazon.com, wordassociation.com and barnesandnoble.com. Click on the upper right link.
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