J. Kelly Robison
Your success in college depends on acquiring good study habits. Effective study habits improve your grades. They also reduce the anxiety many undergraduates experience and enhance the quality of free time. They help you achieve academic success and help give you the time to take full advantage of the social opportunities offered at the university. With good study habits, not only will your grades improve, you will have more time to pursue athletic or social activities.
In college you may spend upwards of twenty fewer hours in the classroom each week than you did in high school. Do not waste these hours. As a college student you have your courses, plus you probably have a job and possibly a family. All these factors make for a busy schedule. One key to success is budgeting your time.
The organization of your time involves many decisions which depend on your personal situation, goals, and commitments. No one can create a master schedule which could be applied to everyone with equal success. Listed below are a few helpful guidelines.
1.Allocate specific hours each day to study. Let people know that these hours are your time to study and do not allow them to interfere with your studying.
2. Set aside several hours in the afternoon and early evening for academic work. During these hours of the day you are more likely to be alert and can be more attentive to your work. Avoid studying very late at night when you are tired.
3. Schedule your time realistically. Do not over-organize your weekly schedule so that you have no time to relax. Concentrate on specific goals at each study session; do not frustrate yourself by planning to accomplish too much at one sitting. Take a short break every hour or so .
4. Set aside a place to study. Where you study is critical to effective learning. Choose a quiet place that is removed from possible distractions. If you live at home or in a dorm and find yourself too often distracted, study at the library. Find a comfortable, well-lighted spot where you can concentrate on your work
5. A rule of thumb: plan to spend two or three hours studying for every hour you spend in the classroom.
In summary, make a schedule, find a study site and use it regularly.