How about those A-term grades?

by Kelly Boyle - Student Development and Counseling Center

So here we are, already making our way in to B-Term. How were your A-Term grades? If they ranged anywhere from the "so-so" category to the "Now I know I'll never make it here" category, you are not alone. If you are a sophomore, junior, or senior, A-Term can be difficult since it takes a while to get back into the swing of things. If you are a first-year student, you may have also faced new challenges such as leaving home and making new friends. If you had a difficult time adjusting, your grades may have reflected this. It's important now to stop beating yourself up about what you should have done and instead think about what to do this term and the terms that follow. Here are some ideas to get you back on track...

1. Get back to the basics! During stressful times you may have forgotten your body's basic needs. If you fell out of the habit last term, then get back into taking good care of yourself this term. For example, eat three healthy meals, get twenty minutes of exercise, and get eight hours of sleep every day. (It really does make a difference in your performance!)

2. Learn how to effectively manage your time. Make a schedule for yourself that includes classes, work, homework, sleep, food, and exercise. Then make sure you set aside time to be with friends, to be with family, and to be alone. You will have more freedom and feel more relaxed during this "free" time since you have already allocated time for work. Other suggestions include using between-class time to get some homework accomplished and determining when the best time of the day is for you to concentrate and completing homework then. Some of us are morning people; others do their best work at night. Call 831-5540 or come down to the Student Development and Counseling Center for more information on how to acquire these skills.

3. Asses how you store and retrieve information. For example, your learning style may be visual, auditory, or kinesthetic. Visual learners prefer to see information to learn it; auditory learners find it easier to hear information, and kinesthetic learners perform best when they actually "do" something with the information (such as making a diagram out of it). A counselor can help you asses your learning style and give you advice about how to use this style to your advantage.

4. Study time - use it wisely! Cramming for exams for eight hours in a row the day before the test is not an effective strategy. Any long stretch of study time will be inefficient. The first hour you study, you will remember approximately 90% of the information. Then, if you do not get up and move around and take a break, you will remember only about 45% of the information during your second hour of studying. And the third hour - you guessed it - the percentage drops to about 22%. Not a good use of your time! Take quick 10-minute breaks to take a walk or get a snack; when you return to studying you will be back to remembering 90%. You can also improve the quality of your study time by eliminating distractions, such as watching TV out of the corner of your eye or being in a room where others are talking.

5. Finally, keep in mind that any change in behavior is probably going to take at least 3 weeks before it feels "normal" to you. Don't expect that making sudden changes in your lifestyle will be comfortable or easy; instead, expect that it will take some time for this new pattern to become a "habit." Stick with it and by finals you'll have acquired the skills to effectively manage your time. In addition, the awareness of your physical needs and cognitive strengths will help you to reach your full potential.