Teaching Study Skills In The Social Sciences
What factors affect student success in
social science classes?
What can faculty do in their classes?
- Basic skills:
Inform students about the skills necessary for success. Help
students evaluate their skills.
-
Background knowledge:
Make sure students know that prerequisites, co-requisites
and advisories are serious.
-
Study skills:
Encourage students to improve their study skills. Incorporate
a little study skills training into your classes. Make sure
students are keeping track (realistically) of their progress
and performance in the class.
-
Available time:
Inform students about the time requirements to be successful
in your class. Let them know you are serious.
-
Motivation:
All faculty already work on motivating students by making
their classes as interesting as they can, challenging without
being overwhelming, relevant when possible. Talking to apparently
unmotivated students individually can be useful. However,
this is an area in which the student must take charge.
-
Physical and psychological health:
Although this goes beyond the scope of most classes, the Student
Wellness Services have useful information and programs.
- College involvement/community:
Get students involved with one another (study groups, collaborative
learning), with you (using office hours and with the larger
campus (using resources, joining groups, attending events).
Common Student Problems And Questions
What To Do If...?
| Laura tells you that she reads the textbook
but is still having trouble with exams and discussion questions. |
First, find out what she means when she says that
she has "read" the textbook. Many students who have
reading difficulties have trouble differentiating true reading
(with depth of comprehension and memory) from decoding (figuring
out what the words are). I have had many students tell me, "My
reading is fine. It's just my comprehension that's bad."
Ask her to show you what she is doing when she reads.
Have her open the text and demonstrate. Ask the student how much
time it took her to read the chapter. You may find that she spent
either an extraordinarily short or extraordinarily long time.
If she is reading inefficiently or ineffectively, explain textbook
reading techniques. (See the handout for students on reading.)
Ask the student to read a paragraph or two and then
put it in her own words for you. If she can't do it, she may have
a reading problem. If she can do it, she may have a problem with
the content. Refer her to a tutor (when possible).
Find out the student's reading level. If it is low,
is she enrolled in a reading class? If so, you can contact her
reading instructor for help.
You may suggest a short modular class in reading
or study skills at the LRC.
Laura may also have a problem with remembering what
she read. Suggest various review techniques to improve memory.
Give the student an assignment to summarize or outline
a chapter and bring it back to you. If the student is able to
do this, find out if she does this regularly.
Try to set up a study partner or study group for
Laura. This may take care of the problem if she is having study
skills difficulties.
| Mike comes to your office and says he is having
serious problems in your class. "What's the problem,"
you ask. "I don't understand," he responds. "What
don't you understand?" "I don't understand anything,"
Mike moans |
The first step is to identify the problem. Ask Mike
the following questions:
- Do you have more trouble with the book or the
lecture?
- Did you read the assignment (or go to class)
today?
- (If he did): What was it about? (The student
may respond that he doesn't know. If so, try to get him to explain
the title of the chapter or one idea from the lecture.)
At this point, you have two goals: to focus on one
aspect of the class and to help Mike see that he does indeed understand
some of what's going on.
Start him off by having him read one paragraph of
the textbook and ask a question about it. You can ask him first
what the topic of the paragraph is (What is it about? Yes, it
is about the Constitution.), and then ask what point the author
is making about that topic (What is the author saying about the
Constitution?). Students can often do this.
Often students become discouraged if they don't
understand something the first time they read it or hear it. It's
important to teach them that college level material requires thought
and work. This will help them persevere when learning becomes
tough.
| Frank comes to see you after he has received
a D on his midterm. He is upset and discouraged because he
spent a lot of time studying for the exam and doesn't know
what went wrong. |
Get Frank to describe his study techniques. These
are the things you should be looking for:
- Did Frank distribute his studying over several
days, even weeks, or did he cram for 2 or 3 nights before the
test?
- What information did Frank study? Did he study
both the text and lecture notes? Or did he assume he would be
tested only on the text?
- How did Frank study? Did he simply reread all
the chapters in the text? Or did he ask and answer questions?
Did he pay attention to the study materials that were available
to him (like sample questions, study guides)?
- What did he focus on when he was studying? Did
he try to memorize facts without understanding main ideas? Or
did he ignore the facts when he knew these would be on the exam?
- Did Frank have confusion during the class before
the exam? Did he ask questions then? Or did he let things go?
Next, try to find out about his test taking techniques.
- Was Frank in good physical and psychological
health for the test? Did he get enough sleep the night before?
Did he take some substance to speed him up or calm him down?
- Did he get to class on time and use all the allotted
time ?
- Does he get extraordinarily anxious before exams?
Does he have this problem in other classes?
- Did he read the directions carefully?
- Did Frank read the questions carefully?
- Did he make a careless mistake on the scan form
and mark the wrong number questions for half the test?
- Did he have with him all the materials he was
allowed to use during the exam (like his notes or a calculator)?
As you can see, there are many reasons students
don't do well on exams. However, there are two main categories:
study skills (the student really didn't learn the material well
enough) and test taking skills (the student knew the material,
but couldn't communicate it).
For study skills, find out if Frank is in or eligible
for English 70 or English 103. Both classes teach study skills.
Test taking skills are also taught in English 103. In addition,
the LRC has been offering a short class on test taking skills
the past few semesters.
| Margaret has not been doing well in your class.
She has been absent and has failed the first midterm. She
has not handed in a significant percentage of her assignments.
She comes to your office (at your request), promising to do
better. You explain that she is getting an F right now, and
you don't see how she can raise her grade much above a D.
She insists that she can. |
The first thing her instructor must do is help Margaret
figure out the cause of her problem, as that will determine the
best course.
It may be that Margaret's outside life is in turmoil.
Is she having family, financial, legal or health problems? If
so, will these continue or can they be resolved? Are there college
or community services to which you can refer her? Is Margaret
experiencing difficulty in her other classes? If her problems
will not go away, should Margaret continue in your class or at
the college? This is, of course, her decision. You simply need
to let her know realistically where she stands in your class.
For some students, the college and your class may be the only
sane, safe or comfortable place in their lives. Martha may need
to continue in your class even though she knows she will not be
successful.
Perhaps Margaret has not been doing the work because
she has not been serious about school. In this case, making a
specific plan of action (even a contract) can be helpful. Work
out a schedule with Margaret about when she will be getting in
missing work. Keep in mind, however, that it is more important
that she keep up with current work. You may give her some voluntary
extra assignments, like keeping a study diary that you can discuss
in a week.
Sometimes students do not do well because they do
not establish themselves as part of the "community"
of the class. If this is one of Margaret's problems, it may be
useful to try to set her up with a study partner or a study group.
Although her study partner could be a top student from the class,
it might be better to pair her with a B student. That way, their
studying is more of a collaborative effort rather than a tutorial.
This activity would be good for both of them. You can offer both
students extra credit for working together.
If Margaret is not doing well because she finds
the content too difficult, go over the prerequisites and advisories
with her. If she has the appropriate classes, a tutor might be
called for.
Finally, Margaret may simply be lazy and refuse
to believe that there are consequences to her lack of effort.
She may not care. Sometimes (not that often), there's nothing
we can do if a student refuses to cooperate.
Quick Tips For Faculty On Improving Students'
General Study Skills
The goals are to help students to:
- Take more responsibility for their education
- Set practical goals
- Be aware of their performance and progress
- Use their time wisely
Techniques that take little or no class time:
- Writing your syllabus -- the two-tier model
Make sure your syllabus can be read easily and quickly. If you
like to give students a lot of information, do it in two stages.
You should have a one (at most two) page sheet that summarizes
the structure and requirements of the class (consider it a micro-syllabus).
You may, of course, also have a longer more detailed outline
(a macro-syllabus). However, this may be intimidating to new
to college or at risk students, so save it for the second or
third class meeting.
Your micro-syllabus should contain information
on:
- textbooks (required and optional)
- attendance policy (leave exceptions and
explanations for later)
- grading policies (what counts for how much)
- dates of assignments (where possible)
- your name, extension, office and office
hours
- materials to be purchased
- a very brief statement on student conduct
- Review your syllabus with the class at periodic
intervals (every 4 weeks). Students may forget basic information
like the attendance policy or a major assignment.
- Give students information on what they
need to do to succeed.
- Remind them of prerequisites, co-requisites
and skills advisories.
- Give them an estimate of how much time they
will need to spend outside class to receive a good grade
in the class.
- Encourage students to keep track of how they
are doing. Distributing a checklist may be useful. See Attachment
A.
-
Give students a midterm "grade" or
a progress report at approximately week 8. This will serve
as a reality check for unaware students.
- Encourage all students to use your office hours.
-
Do not distribute too many materials at one
time. Students may get overwhelmed, or the importance of some
information may be lost.
-
Emphasize to the students that their success
in the class is their own responsibility. Assure them that
this means that they can succeed if they take charge of their
learning.
-
When you give assignments, let the students
know approximately how much time they will take. Students
often underestimate how long it takes to read or to write
a paper. Suggest a time line for longer assignments.
-
Also, when you give an assignment, discuss the
approximate level of difficulty and potential problems.
-
Require that students who are not doing well
come see you in your office.
- Make specific individual appointments; write
them down on your schedule in front of the students.
- Give them a task to do before they come
see you:
Write three questions you have about Durkheim.
Write a paragraph about how you are doing in this class.
Write a plan about what you will do to improve.
- Be very specific about the students' chances
of success and about what they will have to do to pass (and
by when).
- Refer students to appropriate resources
(e.g. tutoring, the writing lab, short courses in the LRC
[vocabulary, study skills, etc], reading or writing classes
[possibly for next semester], the Wellness Center).
- Help the students make a specific time plan
about what they are going to do to solve their problems
in the class.
- Help students to do long term planning.
Hand out a planning sheet with due dates of major assignments.
See Attachment B.
- Help students improve their memory.
- Talk about "over-learning" as
a memory aid. If students study significantly more than
the minimum they need, their memory will improve. The better
they understand the material in the first place, the less
likely that they will forget it. Pseudo-forgetting means
the student never got the information into his or her memory
in the first place because of lack of attention or lack
of comprehension.
- Repetition helps students remember, especially
if they are learning specific facts like names and dates.
- Explain to students that they must intend
to remember.
- Review important concepts on a weekly basis.
This will provide repetition; and, more importantly, it
will provide distributed practice (many short practice sessions
over a longer period of time). This is preferable to massed
practice (one long session in one sitting).
- Have students practice a variety of study
techniques that utilize a variety of learning techniques
(e.g. written, oral, hands on). The more ways the student
practices, the better chance he or she has to remember.
Quick Tips For Faculty On Improving Students'
Textbook Reading Skills
The goals are to help students to:
- Read actively, to think about what they read
- Pay attention to whether they really comprehended
- Read with a technique rather than thoughtlessly
and haphazardly
- Do something constructive if they don't understand
- Keep up to date with the reading
Techniques that take little or no class time:
- Briefly go over the organization of the text.
Explain which parts you will cover in class.
- Point out study aids in each chapter (summaries,
outlines, etc.).
- Tell students approximately how long it takes
to read an _X__ page chapter. Explain that it may take longer
for students with reading difficulties, students who are not
proficient in the English language or students who have never
taken a class in this discipline before.
- Remind students of the recommended skills eligibility
levels (or prerequisites or co-requisites) for this class.
- Encourage students to read actively, to think
about what they are reading as they are reading it.
- Strongly advise students to check their own comprehension.
(Many students who have reading problems do not think about
whether they have comprehended what they have read, or they
may have great difficulty evaluating their comprehension.)
- At the beginning of class (at least during
the first weeks of the semester), briefly go over the main ideas
of the textbook reading. Here are some ways to do this:
- Ask the students to tell you what the chapter
was about.
- Ask them, "If I gave you a quiz on
that chapter, how would you do?" (You want to get them
used to evaluating their comprehension. If they don't recognize
that they didn't comprehend well, they can't do anything
to remedy the situation.)
- Give a quick verbal summary and ask students
to compare it with what they learned.
- Explain that reading a textbook may require hard
work.
- Urge students to use a textbook-reading
technique. Some may have learned specific techniques like
PROFILE or SQ3R. Basically, all these techniques can be summarized
(very briefly) as three stages of reading:
- Preview:
Get an overview of the chapter or section so you can start
thinking about what you are about to read. Do this by reading
titles and subtitles, reading outlines or summaries, looking
at key terms, looking at the questions at the end, etc.
Take a few seconds to raise questions and make predictions
about the chapter.
- Read:
Read actively with comprehension and attention. You may
highlight, underline or annotate to maintain concentration.
Note anything you don't understand. If you still have questions
at the end, mark them or write them down so you can get
them answered. Take a few seconds to evaluate how well you've
comprehended.
- Review:
As soon as you have finished reading the section, go back
over it to check your comprehension and to improve your
memory. You may write a summary or outline, go back and
highlight or annotate, answer questions, do problems, write
possible exam questions, etc.
- Tell students to break the assignment up into
segments they can do in one sitting. They should plan where
they are going to stop rather than going until they are bored
or tired. Each segment should be previewed, read, and reviewed.
- When appropriate, refer to the appropriate text
chapter in your lectures.
- Encourage or facilitate study groups where students
can meet after class and review both texts and lectures. (In
these groups students may take turns outlining or summarizing
a chapter to prepare for a group discussion.)
- Assign a chapter and tell students to summarize
and/or outline it. During class provide them with your summary
and/or outline and have them compare it to theirs. (Alternately,
you may choose to read their work and comment or have them do
the comparison in groups.)
- Provide study questions that combine information/concepts
from more than one chapter or from the text and lectures.
- Provide an example of a few annotated or underlined
pages.
- Have the students write a review question of
a chapter or section for homework. Then have them pair with
another student for five to ten minutes to see if he or she
can answer the question. Any questions that are confusing will
be handed to you.
The Quick Student's Guide To Listening
And Note Taking
Listening is an active skill.
It requires the participation of the listener. The most common
mistake students make in trying to learn from lectures and discussions
is that they become spectators rather than actors. It is easy
to become passive in a lecture hall or classroom. Sometimes, it's
almost like watching television. However, professors are not performers
whose purpose is to entertain. They are educators whose purpose
is to teach.
Go to class prepared to learn.
- Be on time.
- Prepare any materials you will need (e.g., notebook,
text, pen, calculator).
- Sit as close as you comfortably can. This aids
concentration.
- Do not sit next to anyone who will distract your
attention (e.g. friends).
Mentally prepare yourself.
- Go over your notes from last time to refresh
your memory.
- Quickly review the text material that you read.
- Think about/predict what the topics of the lecture
will be. Check the course outline.
- Think of any questions you had from the reading.
Keep your attention on what the lecturer is saying.
- Keep yourself interested in the topics the lecturer
is covering. Your interest level is your responsibility, not
the lecturer's.
- Concentrate on the main ideas. Do not be distracted
by trying to copy down everything the lecturer says.
- Keep your eyes on the lecturer when you're not
taking notes. Do not keep looking out the window.
- Be patient and tolerant of the speaker. Judging
the lecturer during the lecture will distract you from comprehending
what he or she is saying.
Do not leave the room during the lecture (unless,
of course, there is an emergency). Take care of all your hunger,
bathroom, telephone, etc. needs before the class.
A note on taping lectures: With some exceptions,
this is not an efficient technique. Most people never listen to
the tape after the lecture. Listening to the tape takes as much
time as the original lecture did. Also, using the tape interferes
with listening actively during the class. If you do decide to
tape a lecture, be sure to obtain the permission of the instructor
first.
Taking good lecture notes is important for several
reasons:
- It aids concentration.
- It aids memory. It is very difficult to remember
for any length of time what you hear. Taking notes will help
while you are taking them and later when you are reviewing them.
- It aids comprehension, particularly if you are
a visual learner.
- It also may help your comprehension of what you
read.
Use a full size notebook or binder. Write the date
at the top of the page.
Write on one side of the sheet only. This makes
reviewing easier.
Leave a very wide left-hand margin (one-third the
page). You will use this wide margin when you review your notes.
Take complete notes, but do not let your note taking
interfere with your listening comprehension.
- Concentrate on main ideas and major details.
- If the lecturer writes something on the board,
copy it.
- If you miss something, leave a blank space and
come back to it later.
Listen for organizational cues.
- If the lecturer says, "The three major causes
of ...," make sure you have three causes in your
notes.
- Listen for "importance" words like
most importantly or major because these signal importance.
Pay close attention at the end of the lecture because
the instructor will often summarize the most important points.
As soon as the lecture is over, mentally review
what you've learned.
Review your notes as soon as you can.
- First, read through them and make sure they are
correct.
- If you missed anything, contact another student
or see the instructor for clarification.
- Use your wide margin now - write questions, vocabulary,
key points, a short summary of the whole lecture.
- Also, try to tie the lecture in with the textbook
assignment on the same topics (where appropriate).
When the lecturer completes a unit or topic,
go back over all your notes on that topic. Make sure they are
coherent and complete.
[Link here to Alyce Steidler's materials on
Notetaking. Also a link to information about graphic organizers.
]
The Quick Student's Guide To Reading Textbooks
Many students don't know that there are specific
techniques to reading textbooks well. These techniques will help
you read your texts efficiently, with good comprehension and good
memory.
First, be realistic about how much time and work
is required to read the textbook. Many students underestimate.
Different texts require different levels of effort depending on
the difficulty of the material and your background knowledge in
that area.
Do an overview of the text as soon as you purchase
it. Notice how the units and the chapters are organized.
- Check out the study aids in each chapter (e.g.
outlines, summaries, key terms, problems or questions).
- Try to assess the level of difficulty of the
text for you. This will help you plan how much time you will
need to read your assignments.
Each time you sit down to read the text, decide
how much you will read.
- Try to find a logical break where you will stop.
- If you just keep reading until you are tired
or bored or have something else to do, your comprehension and
memory of the last few pages you read will be very low.
Try to have your reading session last at least a
half hour, but no more than two hours.
At the beginning of your reading session, preview
the pages you've decided to read. This will give you an overview
of the content, will raise your concentration level and will start
you thinking. It will also save time in the long run. Five minutes
spent previewing may save an hour later.
- Previewing Techniques include (but are
not limited to) reading the title and subtitles, reading the
first paragraph, looking at the outline or summary, looking
at the questions at the end of the chapter or reading the key
terms.
- Different techniques work for different students
and different books. Find a technique that works for you and
use it.
- Previewing should take from a couple of minutes
for an easy section to ten minutes or more for a more difficult
section.
- If you haven't done so yet, decide on a stopping
point.
As you are reading, pay
attention to how well you are understanding. (Avoid
the familiar experience of realizing that you were not paying
attention to the previous sections and have no idea what they
are about.)
- Ask questions as you finish a paragraph or section:
What was the main idea? What test question could be asked?
Did I understand it?
- Highlighting or underlining as you read can aid
concentration.
- Mark any parts you don't understand.
- Making notes in the margin or on a separate sheet
is useful for difficult material.
A note on marking textbooks: Some textbooks [not
all] are best studied by marking them up. Although this will lower
the resale value at the end of the semester, highlighting and
annotating may mean the difference between a C and an A.
When you finish your reading, do a self-check on
your comprehension. If you were given an exam on this material
right now, what grade would you get?
- If you don't check your comprehension, you can't
fix any problems.
- If your comprehension is unsatisfactory,
try to improve it.
- Reread passages that confused you. Difficult
reading material may need to be read more than once.
- Write down questions to ask your instructor
or a tutor.
Every time you read, spend some time reviewing.
This will improve your comprehension and your memory and help
you prepare for discussions and exams.
- REVIEWING TECHNIQUES
include (but are not limited to) answering the questions at
the end of the chapter, going back and highlighting or underlining,
writing a summary, writing an outline, making up your own questions
and answering them, or annotating the section (making notes
in the margins).
- Try different techniques until you find one that
works for you.
- Reviewing should take from a couple of minutes
for an easy section to fifteen minutes for a more difficult
section.
Remember that reading textbooks may be hard work.
- Make sure to give yourself enough time.
- Always check your own comprehension.
- If there is something you don't understand, take
care of it immediately.
It is easier to stay up to date in your classes
if you have a regular time for studying each textbook.
The Quick Student's Guide To Test-Taking
Taking tests is a normal and expected part of being
a college student. However, many students do not do as well as
they would like on exams. Here are some tips on improving your
performance on tests.
Preparation For Tests
Start preparing for exams at the beginning of the
semester.
- Pay attention to when exams are scheduled and
mark it on a calendar.
- Find out what kinds of exams will be given (e.g.
short answer, essay).
- Buy any testing materials you will need (e.g.
blue books, pencils).
Keep up to date with all assignments. Cramming at
the last minute will raise test anxiety and actually take more
time.
Get questions answered as soon as they arise. See
the instructor or a tutor.
Test yourself regularly. This will make test-taking
less unusual in your regular life.
- Working with other students or by yourself, make
up test questions and answer them.
- Take the test questions you've made up to your
instructor and ask him or her if you're on the right track.
- Give yourself a time limit to answer your questions.
This will get you used to working with the time constraints
of the actual test.
Find out as much as possible about the test.
- How much time is allowed?
- What do you need to bring?
- What materials, if any, may you use during the
test (notes, textbook, calculator, dictionary, etc.)?
- Exactly what will be covered (which text chapters,
lecture topics)?
- What kinds of questions will be asked?
- How many questions will be asked?
- Will there be a choice of questions?
Taking The Test
Make sure you are in good physical shape.
- Get enough sleep the night before.
- Avoid taking drugs, alcohol, or excessive caffeine.
- Take a short, brisk walk before the exam. This
will help keep you calm and will improve your ability to concentrate.
Get to class a little early, if possible.
- Sit where you will be comfortable and undisturbed.
- Prepare any materials you will need for the exam.
- Avoid last minute conversations about the test
with other students because this will raise anxiety levels.
When the test is distributed, survey it.
- Listen To And/Or Read The Directions Carefully.
Many students have problems because they do not read the directions.
- Notice the organization of the test. How many
questions? What kinds of questions? Notice the point value of
the questions.
- Do you have any choices, or do you have to answer
all questions?
Essay Tests
- Read through all the questions first.
- Pay attention to different point values of questions.
Write longer, more thoughtful answers to questions worth more
points.
- Decide on an approximate time plan. Do not spend
too much time on any one question.
- Answer the questions about which you feel most
confident first, making sure to leave enough time for the more
difficult questions.
- Write something for each question, even if you
are unsure. Even if the answer isn't totally correct, you will
probably get partial credit.
Objective Tests
- Notice the number of questions and decide on
an approximate time plan. Check the clock to make sure you do
not run out of time.
- Do not get stuck on a question. Put a pencil
mark next to it and come back to it after you have answered
the other questions.
- If you are using a computer scan form, check
periodically to make sure you are marking the correct answer
number.
Try to leave some time at the end of the test for
checking your answers.
Use all the time you are allowed. Do not leave the
room until you are positive that you have completed everything
as well as you can.
After You Get The Test Back
- Use this test as a learning experience.
- If you did well, think about why.
- If you did not do well, figure out what went
wrong. You may want to take the exam to your instructor to ask
for advice.
- You may also want to take a class on test-taking
offered at the Learning Center.
The Quick Student's Guide To Time Management
Some students think that managing time requires
a rigid schedule of what they will be doing every minute. In fact,
you can manage your time with flexibility and free time. You simply
need to take five steps to improve your use of time.
- Be aware of the time you have available.
Although there are 168 hours in a week, not all of this time
is available for studying.
- Use Schedule #1 to mark all the time
that is regularly committed each week (including sleep).
- If some time commitments vary (like your
work schedule), use a typical week or use next week.
- Include all activities that you do almost
every week (e.g. work, sports, church, dance class, volunteer
work, Saturday night dates)
- Look at Sample A
for guidance.
- Determine your study time needs.
- Figure out how much time you are going to
need for each class for an average week. (Later, you can
make specific schedules for specific weeks.)
- The general guideline is 1.5 - 2.0 hours
of study for each hour of class, but this varies depending
on the difficulty of the class and the grade you want to
receive in that class.
- Check with the instructor and/or look at
the course outline to get a good idea of how much time you
will need.
- Look at Sample
B for guidance.
- Set realistic goals.
- Go back to Schedule
#1 and mark those times you think would be good for
studying.
- Be realistic: If you are not an early riser,
don't schedule study time for 5:00 in the morning. If you
have barely opened a book in the past, set a lower goal at
first and then build up.
- Make sure you leave yourself free time.
- Don't schedule too much time without scheduling
a break. Two hours is the most anyone can do without a break,
and you may need a break sooner than that.
- See Sample
C for guidance.
- Keep track of what you
actually do for one week.
- On another copy of Schedule
#1, write in what you really did.
- Compare your plan with the reality.
- Now, make a new plan based on what you actually
did and how satisfactory it was. Don't be too critical
of yourself if you fell far short of your goals; this will
only make you feel bad and will not solve the problem. Set
new goals that are more realistic. Reconsider how much time
is really required and how much time you can really devote.
- Now plan your time for
the whole semester.
- Use Schedule #2
to write down when major assignments, papers, quizzes and
exams are scheduled for all your classes.
- Pay attention to any weeks that are particularly
demanding. For example, if you have a midterm, a research
paper and a quiz all during week 9, try to get the paper written
early.
- Do not schedule any extra activities that week
(e.g. a ski trip, voluntary overtime at work, giving a party)
- See Sample
D for guidance.
General Time Management Tips
