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Monday, June 28, 2010

Challenge Yourself

"Professor assigns too much homework" or "Too much studying required for tests" - these are just some of the not-so-insightful comments you might come across while browsing RateMyProfessor. College students frequently forget that one of the most rewarding components of a college education is a healthy dose of challenge. They become so caught up researching what class will be an "easy A" that they end up shortchanging themselves on their own education. Students spend the better part of their high school years fretting about getting into a prestigious school, but once they are actually attending they fail to realize their academic potential. Students frequently equate challenge with struggle because they assume that when they are forced to pull an all-nighter they are being challenged and vice versa. As Serge pointed out in his recent article, all-nighters are not the key to succeeding in the classroom, especially not difficult ones. A challenging course is one in which thoughtful reflection is a prerequisite for success, and in which a good grade is far from guaranteed. When registering for classes for next semester, instead of researching which professors are easy graders and which aren’t instead draw your focus on which professors will make you work for your grade. Don't think that you and your friends will benefit equally from the same course. Challenge exists on a personal level, and those who seek it should not have much difficulty finding it. Challenge can be found in any school and in virtually any department. For anyone who thinks that challenge is limited to strictly technical courses realize that for every difficult technical class offered by your school there is bound to be a humanities class that is just as difficult. Challenge doesn't imply that success in the classroom is inhibited - it means that success has to be earned through a combination of hard work and smart study practices. So do yourself a favor: take at least one truly challenging course every semester until you graduate. The work ethic and motivation you will develop will last far longer and be far more valuable than the semester of work you have put into the class. The beauty of challenging courses is that with each one you conquer you will feel a noticeable difference in your own abilities. Challenging courses will provide the much-needed exercise to keep your brain in tip-top shape.

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Managing Time

We have all had moments when it seemed as though we were given a very large assignment without enough time to complete it. Coincidentally, these moments tend to occur the night before that large assignment is due— which of course was assigned three months earlier. Instances like these emphasize the importance of learning how to manage one's time, especially as we grow into more demanding academic responsibilities. Before I get into ways to better control your time, I think it is important to note what I believe is the source of the problem. I commonly find that people attempt to apply the same study and time management habits in college as they did in high school. While this seems like a good idea at first, what most incoming college freshmen don't realize is that the workload is ten times greater. The circumstances are obviously different, and accordingly demand a different sense of how one treats work, particularly because time management evolves along with us. The key to learning how to take control of completing whatever assignments you may have is a sense of personal commitment. Of course, this is not a very simple thing to achieve, particularly because it is contrary to the way we normally view assignments. What usually motivates us to complete an assignment is the very ominous and looming due date which in our minds indicates the absolute latest we can complete something. However, once you come to the realization that you yourself can take a more proactive stance in determining when and how you will work, you will immediately notice differences. One method you can try is to give yourself a personal deadline for an assignment which is a few days or week, depending on the magnitude of the assignment, before the actual due date. Clearly mark the dates on a calendar (Google Calendar works wonders here) and give an honest and conscious effort to achieve your goal, but if it occurs that the work is too much to handle it is absolutely fine, I guarantee that the quality and amount of work you will have completed will be many fold greater than normal. Of course, since you do not have extrinsic motivators like a teacher to scold you, or points deducted from your grade, the only thing that will enable you to achieve your goal is commitment. If you follow this simple mentality, you will note only come to manage your time far more efficiently, but will also notice that you will become less dependent on others to tell you how and when things should be done.

All-Nighters

Ah, all-nighters. Those much fabled and much maligned nights of the year (or weeks of the year, depending on who you are) that almost every serious student has been through. But is this ever increasing trend really a wise decision? I have two opinions, and the one that I adopt depends heavily on my personal situation the night before the test. More specifically, the only time that I truly believe an all-nighter will help rather than hamper your grade, is when you are convinced you have a very sub par and inadequate understanding of the material. This usually occurs when you haven't studied or paid attention in class at all, or very little, right up until the test. Think critically and decide honestly if this describes you the day before your examination. However, when you've already studied extensively, and are thoroughly confident that you'll be able to answer most of, if not all, the questions the professor will throw at you, then there really is absolutely no reason for you to stay up the entire night. Well, you might be wondering, what kind of crazy person even does that? Well, then, you'd be surprised. Some students are so paranoid about their grades that they believe they have to study every single minute up until the big day, to the point that they're almost paralyzed with guilt if they don't. Chances are you know one of these people (or are one yourself) The result? Poorer performance. Don't get me wrong. It's certainly possible to pull an all-nighter and add a few points to your test grade. But are those additional few points worth feeling like crap the entire next day, throwing off your circadian rhythm, and putting your body into sleep debt? If that's not convincing enough for you, know that your sleep deprivation will make you pay less attention during other classes, thereby indirectly hindering your performance on your next test, and leaving you with more work to do later during study days. Remember, just because all your friends are pulling all- nighters, that doesn't mean you should. Your decision should depend entirely on careful introspection (as with anything else). When deciding, remember to prioritize. For example, your train of thought should be different depending on whether the next day you have a midterm, as opposed to, let's say, a quiz that'll be dropped anyway for being your lowest grade. A general rule of thumb? All-nighters should be reserved for desperation situations only.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Read a Book

Well, it's summer break here right now, and most of us are are fortunate enough to have some time off from school to pursue our other interests (or simply to relax). Unfortunately, for many students, these summers can become not only the most exciting part of the year, but also a step backwards in terms of our ability to cope with the upcoming school season. I understand that you're worn out, tired from months of mental load and test taking, and ready to do everything you couldn't do while school was in session (like sleep). However, I want to stress to you the importance of making an effort to keep your brain in collegiate shape throughout the summer. One of the easiest and most convenient ways to do this is to simply read a book. Read a substantial book. If you need guidance as to what to read, research some classic books and start there (you'll find many). If you're going to read, you might as well do it right and read something other than some frothy and vapid airplane distraction. If you're really opposed to reading a book, then read the news. If you don't want to read the news, read some websites and articles. Read this blog. Read anything as long as it interests you and challenges you intellectually. As with weight-lifting, only when you exert yourself above your comfort level for a period of time will you start to see some gains. Not straining yourself intellectually all summer is akin to an athlete taking the entire summer off and expecting to come back and perform just as well in his sport of choice. Sure he'll get back to optimum capacity eventually, and so will you, but how many tests will you have to take before you get there? Reading during the summer will keep your mind sharp and will make it that much easier to get back into study and testing mode once school starts. I'm not saying spend all your free time with your nose in a book. Cut some time out of your T.V. watching and spend it reading instead. Read on the bus or train. Read to help you go to sleep. If you find reading boring, you're either reading the wrong book, or are simply unadjusted to the type of thinking that reading requires (or both). Give it time and you'll begin to tolerate, and hopefully even enjoy reading. If all other inspiration fails, think of it as an investment towards your intelligence and education.

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