Woohoo!!! Are you guys as excited as I am for all the final papers due and exams coming up? No? No? Yea, I get it.
Being a full-time student who’s also job hunting and getting back into exercising is a lot. Now, add that to the fact that I’m trying to expand my mustard seed size social life while also maintaining a 3.5 GPA is challenging to say the least.
I’ve had to request permission from a couple teachers to re-do assignments and for extra credit. On flat out refused, which was her prerogative and another allowed me to redo my assignment - which I promptly did and handed up.
I have four final papers due (they’re all group projects) for four of my classes. All three which require an in-class presentation and a fourth whose presentation would be at a televised conference (no pressure). Then there’s my Spanish final exam which is a presentation on a Latin American country to be done entirely in Spanish.
It wouldn’t be so tense or nerve wracking if I didn’t have exams immediately after or simultaneously. But that’s how it’s scheduled and I need to find a healthy way to deal and organize myself.
Google Calendar
Wow, how much I love Google calendar. As a person with an Android phone and Apple devices it’s a tad bit difficult to sync them both but I’ve managed to find a way to have important things one each device without the tedious process of entering the same information into multiple devices.
On my phone, I use my Google Calendar to remind me of due dates, interviews, appointments, test dates and Voice to record lectures. The beauty about Google is that it syncs so what’s on my phone is also in my account and when I’m alerted on my phone, I get that alert on my computer.
Apple Calendar
This is what I use to track my Academic Weeks. When the semester begins and Course Outline has been disseminated I take all listed dates for tests, quizzes and presentations and insert them in my calendar. I also schedule my classes with class times,(this is mainly until I can find my classes without needing a reminder on where the classrooms are), lecturer name, information and office hours.
Voice Recorder
Sometimes I get bored in class and don’t take much notes, sometimes it’s something technical that I need to pay active attention to so I can’t take notes. I record all classes but I don’t listen to all recordings. I make a brief summary on what was discusses, mark the time the recorder is at so I know exactly where I stopped taking notes and should listen or where I didn’t quite understand and can go back to listen.
Study Groups
I’ve never been one for study groups. But having a study group for four of my six classes really helps. Some classmates overlap and they're the ones I started these groups with along with a couple other people. It’s small, 5 for two classes and I have intimate study sessions with two other people. It’s important to form a group with focused individuals. Sessions usually last 1-2 hours too.
Personal Study
Some might believe that once you study with your group that’s it. You’re prepared. But are you really? Can you think about your subject, think about a topic and talk about it confidently? If you can in your head, try saying it out loud. Teaching is the best form of studying I believe and you don’t always need to be with someone. Pretend you’re talking to someone who asked a question about the topic OR choose a question from your review section of the chapter and answer it out loud. If you can’t confidently and sufficiently answer the question, you need more time on the matter.
Time Management
This is the holy grail of being on time and not falling behind tbh. It might seem like there’s so much to do you might never get anything done. Take it one step at a time. Use the Priority Matrix if you’re unsure of which “important” task to tackle first if you’re so sure they’re all important and urgent and need attention NOW.
START EARLY
See, this will help you LOADS in the future. Is the assignment due in 2 weeks? Start now. Is the quiz four weeks from now? Review now. Is the test in 3 weeks? Make your outline now. Is that research paper not for another month? Call and make appointments for information (sometimes it takes weeks to get them), arrange interviews (these are busy people, they won’t be able to sit with you at the drop of a hat), to preliminary research (it might be harder than you think to make sense of it all). It might seem like a waste, or senseless, but having a paper or Microsoft document or OneNote page that’s all about your research paper and what you’re supposed to do will be a reminder that when the time comes closer you’re not on Stage 0 or 1. You’re on State 2,3,4. You’ve already BEGUN and you only need to CONTINUE.
