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dr. phil on science education
The amount of homework, lab and preparation time that most students need is very different in college than in high school. For some students, this may be the first time you've really had to study before. An old rule of thumb suggested that you need at least one to two hours of study time per week for every credit hour you are taking. So if you're taking 15 credits, you should have 15-30 hours of study time during the week, outside of the classroom. Most people do not make that much time available, but if you do, it becomes clear that taking a full course load at college is the equivalent of a full-time job!
There are lots of demands on your time, especially if you are living away from home for the first time in your life and also if you are working a job in order to stay in school. You want to make studying a common activity, something you can sit down and start and stop on command. If you aren't doing much studying, try picking one hour to study every night, say 8-9pm. Not too late, so you aren't falling asleep. And make a commitment to that time. Don't cheat to watch TV or hang with your friends. If you don't make time for studying, then studying is not likely to happen.
Lots of students crack open the books wherever they are -- in their dorm room, on the bus, at a table in the Bronco Mall or one of the open student areas at Parkview or Wood Hall, the Library, etc. If you aren't used to studying or if your study time isn't very effective, you might want to find some place to make your own during your scheduled study time. You may not want to use your bedroom -- find a table or a desk elsewhere. In the beginning you might want to seek out someplace quiet, like the Library. Eventually, when you build up a routine for studying, you may be able to study wherever and whenever is convenient, but even then it is good to keep track of your hours. No backsliding!
Doesn't everyone have an iPod/CD/MP3 player plugged into their ears 24/7? Cell phone turned on with six downloadable ring tones? Latest video game ready to go for your next study break on the PlayStation/2 or Xbox? And caffeine... Plus don't forget the snacks! The problem is often that we spend more time preparing to study than actually studying. If you surround yourself with distractions, you won't be able to pay attention to the material. You can turn your phone off for an hour and the world won't end. And turn it off -- putting it on vibrate means you still know when someone's calling and you know you're going to check the Caller ID to see if it's "important." The idea is that your scheduled study time is what's important. You don't have to suffer in silence, though. Music can create an isolation buffer between you and the outside world. You might want to create a playlist just for studying, and then not change it for the semester so the music just becomes part of the background. And part of your regular routine.
Ideally you should do both. Usually you end up having to take tests by yourself, so you need to be able to work the material by yourself. On the other hand, working with a small study group (2 to 4 people) can be a very effective way of finding your own weaknesses, to say nothing of the fact that helping another student is a very good way to reinforce your own knowledge. Don't know anybody in that large lecture class? That's supposed to be one of the points of the STEP Program, that you're in a Student Learning Community with other students that you recognize. But schedule changes and the like sometimes makes that not work out as intended. If you want to join or form a study group, just before class or just after, stand up and call out, "I'm looking for some people to form a small study group. Is anyone interested?" You'll find that often there are lots of people who would like to be in a study group, but they "don't know anyone" and won't stand up and ask. It's not the sort of thing that your instructor can help with -- people's schedules are too different, so you need to talk with the other students on your own and get organized yourself.
This is the question that a lot of students forget to ask. And the answer is going to depend on the course, the student and what is required in the class. It can include, but is not limited to: -- Reading the textbook -- Reading your notes -- Reworking the examples given in class or in the book -- Doing homework problems, assigned or not -- Copying your notes over so they are clean and readable -- Writing up a formula card or review sheet, so you can keep track of what is being covered in the class -- Checking other sources, especially if there is a class website or your instructor is using WebCT, or if there are other materials to read for your course -- Going over old exam problems, if available, or reviewing your own performance on quizzes and exams -- Writing up questions that you want to know the answer, either for asking in class, instructor's office hours, etc.
-- Carrying around your books and notes without ever looking at them -- Staring at the same page or same problem for hours without knowing what to do next -- Or reworking the same problem with the same mistakes over and over again -- you can successfully teach yourself how not to do the problem -- Leaving books and notes open, but carrying on conversations and doing everything but looking at them There are no prizes for the number of pounds of stuff you carry around or the number of hours your books lie open, if you don't use them.
There are thousands of ways to waste time and manage not to get any studying done. You can spend hours working up a new playlist for your iPod. You can take a "quick break" to check your e-mail or listen for the ding of an Instant Message or pause so you can "just take this one call." You can promise yourself that you can "make up the study time later", but you never will. Resist all temptations!
This is college -- aren't you supposed to pull all-nighters to study for important tests and write papers? The sad truth is that the all-nighter is greatly overrated. People who are tired are very ineffective. You won't be able to solve problems on the test. You won't be able to remember what you just read. And your paper will have many errors that you won't be able to catch because your mind is operating in a fog. The secret to studying and writing papers is to start studying and writing the paper well in advance, so you aren't trying to cram it all in at the last minute. Because the two most effective things you can do for yourself are: (1) get enough sleep and (2) take your tests under the same level of alertness as you took the class and studied. Pull an all-nighter and your body & mind will rebel, and that cannot be good for your grades.
Sometimes when you've hit a wall and you're not getting anything done, you should put everything away, go doing something else and come back to your work later. Don't completely isolate yourself from every and all activities. You need to find a balance between study time and taking advantage of all the other things that a college education can offer. We'll certainly be reminding you of opporunities and activities during the coming semester, so stay tuned. Check your campus e-mail daily -- twice daily is even better. And keep checking these web pages for updates.
Last Update: 15 September 2006 Friday.