College Survival Kit ~ Issue 2
Crosby Scholars Senior Program
The Importance of Schedule and Routine
The Do's and Don'ts of Scheduling
- DO look over the course catalog and familiarize yourself with the class offerings before arriving on campus. If you've chosen a major, determine which required classes you should take in the beginning and include a few interesting courses.
- DO schedule a good mix of classes. Too much of one type of class can be overwhelming.
- DO meet with your advisor before scheduling classes. Prepare a list of questions about classes before attending the meeting.
- DO schedule a first-year experience class, if it is offered. These classes teach students about goal-setting, using campus resources, and making the most of the college experience.
- DO make a list of alternative classes in case the classes you select are full. Space is typically saved for freshman in classes, but they may fill up quickly if it is a popular class.
- DON'T over-schedule. Don't overwork yourself, you want to be able to do well in the classes you're taking and not let your GPA drop.
- DON'T sign up for all hard or all easy classes. If you struggle with a particular subject, make sure to even out the course with something less intense.
- DON'T postpone your core requirements. This will free up your schedule for your major classes later on and could potentially uncover additional interests you might have.
- DON'T schedule early-morning classes if you don't function well in the morning. Know your routine habits, if you aren't a morning person then making it to an 8:00am class might be difficult. Schedule classes that you know you'll get to with plenty of time.
- DON'T overlap classes. You'll need enough time to get around campus to each class, not every class will be in the same building or even on the same side of campus. Try to spread them out to have enough study time as well.
Tips and Tricks:
- Plan enough time for study. It is recommended to study for two hours for every hour of class.
- Study at the same time every day. This will help studying become a habit so that it becomes natural every day.
- Make use of your free time during school. Study in between classes when you have breaks and take advantage of unexpected free time.
- Plan study sessions to follow class. You are more likely to remember what you learned in class if you review and rewrite your notes directly after class.
- Space your study sessions. Schedule short breaks during your study sessions, especially if you are studying for long hours at a time.
- When you receive an assignment, break it into small tasks. Estimate how long each task will take, then rank it from hardest to easiest. Complete the hardest tasks first.
- Set aside time for weekly reviews. Students benefit from weekly reviews during the weekend when they are less stressed.
- Leave some unscheduled time to ensure flexibility. Students can set themselves up for failure by cramming too much into their schedules.
- Schedule time for recreation and other activities. Create interchangeable time slots for flexibility and include extracurricular activities in your scheduling.
Study Methods and Resources
- The Pomodoro Method -- concentrate for 25 minutes followed by a 5 minute break. And repeat!
- Try to think positively when you study. Avoid catastrophic and absolute thinking, instead, remind yourself of your skills and abilities.
- Find a conducive study spot. Try out a few places on campus that are quiet and enforce concentration, whether it's the library, a quiet nook in the student lounge, or a coffee shop.
- Bring everything you need, but nothing you don't. It's easy to get distracted when you study, only bring the necessary items. Make a list when you are packing your bag so that you don't waste time going back and forth to pick up items that you forgot.
- Outline and rewrite your notes. Mouth or read the notes as you are rewriting to use more than one sense while studying to help retain the information.
- Use mnemonic devices and memory games to study. Using words and phrases as codes help you remember hard topics and recall information in stressful situations, like exams.
- Study with a friend. Teaching someone else what you are learning helps you remember the information on a long term basis because you are having to explain it to someone else who may not be in the same class.
- #15tofinish -- initiative to help students graduate in four years without extra semesters of student loans, IF you take 15 hours worth of classes per semester, you'll graduate in four years. Check out Complete College America for more info!
Sources:
http://www.collegeview.com/articles/article/class-scheduling-dos-and-don-ts-for-first-year-students
https://www.collegeatlas.org/time-scheduling-strategies.html
https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-perfect-daily-routine-for-college-undergraduates
https://psychcentral.com/lib/top-10-most-effective-study-habits/
Crosby Scholars Community Partnership
Email: seniorprogram@crosbyscholars.org
Website: crosbyscholars.org
Location: 2701 University Parkway, Winston-Salem, NC, United States
Phone: 336-725-5371
Facebook: facebook.com/CrosbyScholars
Twitter: @CrosbySr2017