Survival Tips from the Pros!

Time Management

Most students discover when they first attend college that it is not anything like high school. They also find out very quickly that they need to be good self-managers, and to manage their time well. The best tool for that is to buy a planner or a calendar, and then use it. Write everything down: classes, appointments, work schedule, major tests and projects, and so forth.

At the beginning of every semester, a great strategy is to take each syllabus from each class, and write in the planner the major due dates of every paper, project, and test. That way, you can get a sense of the whole semester, and begin to plan out when to start each project or paper, and when to study for that Big Test. The overall philosophy is to take the abstract out of the brain and make it concrete on paper. If you merely try to keep track of important things in your head, things can quickly get out of control.

Another two really incredible strategies are to let the phone ring, and to learn to say No. The telephone is not an obligation; if a friend is calling and interrupting your planned study time, there's nothing wrong with letting the phone ring. Your friend will leave a message. Any true friends will support your efforts at academic success. This ties in with learning to say No.

Often, a student will claim that their friends dragged he or she out for a movie or a pizza, when the student was supposed to be studying. A fantastic way to handle that situation is when your friends call, just say you need to study for that Big Test, or finish up that Big Research Paper first. Then, if you get the grade you want on it, you tell your friends that you will take them out for pizza or a movie! This way, your friends will want you to study and to finish working. They just might get a prize out of your efforts!

Study Skills

You should study and read every day. You should review material often, particularly the material with which you struggle. Some basic study strategies include:

• re-reading that day's assignment immediately before class
• going over your notes immediately after class
• studying for tests at least seven days prior to the test date

Do not procrastinate! Procrastination is common among college students. However, procrastination does not lead to success, and it ultimately makes life much more painful. Study early, and study often!

If you are struggling, go visit the tutors in the Learning Center. Visit your professor or instructor during his or her office hours. If he or she does not have an office on campus, make sure to find out how to contact him or her early on in the course. Talk to your peers. Form a study group. Make flash-cards. Study in a quiet place, like the library. Find the brainiac in the class, and ask for help. Remember: the squeaky wheel gets the grease. If you do not speak up and ask for help, no one will know that you need any.