 Spend Time Planning
Villanova college courses require a change toward a
more mature lifestyle where it is up to you to get things done without
prompting from parents or friends. You have to take control and become
"captain of your own ship." Many students like to lay out the semester’s
assignments and exams on a calendar and use a day planner to organize
the week. Organize the week on a Sunday night in a way that makes sense
to you. Planning gets you started, prevents avoidance of disliked
subjects, and makes studying more enjoyable if not always done under the
pressure of an exam or deadline.
Set Semester Goals
What do you want to have accomplished by the end of
this semester? High grades that open the door to Law School, a new
skill, more involvement in student activities? Set goals which are
specific, measurable, realistic and achievable. Your optimum goals are
those which cause you to "stretch" but not "break" as you strive for
achievement.
Prioritize
Time spent to raise a D in Chemistry to C, makes more sense
than equal time to raise a B to a B+ in another class. The trick to
prioritizing is to isolate and identify that activity that gives you the
best return. Once identified, prioritize time to concentrate your work
on those items with the greatest reward. Flagging items with a deadline
is another idea for helping you stick to your priorities.
Use A To Do List
Some students thrive using a daily To Do list which
they construct the last thing in the day or first thing in the morning.
Such people may combine a To Do list with a calendar or schedule. Others
prefer a "running" To Do list which is continuously being updated.
Experiment and find
Be Flexible
For those courses that are difficult, that you dislike, or in which you are
starting to get behind, you may want to set up a fixed time to study. Allow time for
interruptions and distractions. Try to get more done during daylight
hours.
Consider Your Biological Prime Time
That's the time of day when you are
at your best. Are you a "morning person," a "night owl," or a late
afternoon "whiz?" Match your prime time to your most difficult tasks
like Math, instead of wasting it on some easy task like doing your
laundry.
Eliminate The Urgent
Don’t start an important paper or project
the night before it is due. Plan to leave yourself enough time for revisions,
feedback, or a visit to the Writing Center. Delegate And Eliminate
Eliminate from your routine those tasks which do
not have important consequences for you. Can you delegate or eliminate
any of your To Do list? Work on those tasks which you alone can do, and
enlist others to help with student organization responsibilities and
duties.
Avoid Being A Perfectionist
When writing a paper, for example, it is
more important to finish than worry about each sentence being perfect.
Get the job done and you can revise later. Yes, some things need to be
closer to perfect than others, but perfectionism, paying unnecessary
attention to detail, can be a form of procrastination.
Conquer Procrastination
One technique is to just take a little slice of
a big project like a term paper. When you are avoiding something, break
it into smaller tasks and do just one of the smaller tasks, like seeing
what research articles are available. By breaking the ice you overcome
inertia; eventually you'll reach a point where you'll want to finish.
Learn To Say "No"
“No, I can’t play basketball now, it is my Physics
study time, but I can play later.” Such a small word — and so hard to
say. Focusing on your goals may help. But first you must be convinced
that you and your priorities are important — that seems to be the
hardest part in learning to say "no." Once convinced of their
importance, saying "no" to the less important in life gets easier.
Reward Yourself
For example, record a favorite TV show, and only let
yourself watch it when your finish your Theology reading. Promise
yourself a reward for completing each task, or finishing the total job.
Rewards can make getting on task easier.
Seek Help
Why not work with an experienced counselor who can get you organized,
encourage you, and quickly teach you these techniques?
More Information
Free,
confidential help is available by stopping by the Counseling Center ,
Room 206, Health Services Building or by calling 610-519-4050.
References
- Drucker, Peter. The Effective Executive. New York: Harper & Row, 1966.
- Lakein, Alan. How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life. New York:
Signet, 1974.
- McGee-Cooper, Ann. Time Management for Unmanageable People. Dallas, TX:
Ann McGee-Cooper & Associates, 1983.
See the following web sites for more information:
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