To be a successful student you
must learn to establish goals, and create and follow through on a plan to
accomplish those goals. Reaching goals demands a set of skills and habits that
can be learned.
Each day you are faced with a wide range of things you need
or want to do for school, for work, for you family and friends, and for
yourself. How do you decide what is important? First make a list of the things
you are responsible for. These things are Must Dos, usually work and family.
How many hours a week are you at work? Do you bring work home? How much time do
you realistically spend on those tasks? If you are married or have children,
how many hours a week do you work to meet their needs? How many hours of sleep
do you need each night in order to function at your best? Put these on your
calendar or day planner first.
How much time do you spend each week on Other Activities
such as church, friends, and bubble baths? Where is being a student and
studying on your priority list? What does that say to you about your
expectations? How much time and energy will be left for school. The expectation
is that for every hour you spend in class, you will need to allot two hours for
study. This can help you establish the
amount of time you will have for study even how many courses you can handle at
a time. Are there activities that need to be taken off your calendar so you
have time to reach your education priority?
Goals should be straightforward and emphasize what you want to
happen. Goals are your “plan to dos.” Specifics help focus efforts and clearly
define what is going to be accomplished. It is important to decide what grade
you want to make in any class you take. The course syllabi, learning activities
or group and individual assignments should help you decide what you need to do
to make that grade. Why is this important to do at this time? What do you want
to ultimately accomplish? How are you going to do it?
The Right Study Environment is
critical to getting the most out of the time you can allot for studying and
completing assignments and projects. In a busy household, just finding a quiet
place to read and do homework can be a real challenge. What are external
obstacles to concentration? What are internal obstacles to concentration? Come
up with smart solutions. Discovering the best approach is a personal process. When
my children were preschoolers and toddlers, I put them to bed, cleaned the
kitchen, and went to bed myself. Then I got up at 3:00 a.m. to study.
The Importance of Time Management cannot be overemphasized. Anything
that can be delegated gives you extra time. Anything that can be made into a
routine for yourself lessens the time needed to think it through each time you
do it, saving both time and creative energy. Always leave yourself room to
wiggle – the business standard is to leave 25% of your time and energy
unplanned. That way you have room for emergencies
and anything unexpected. Look at your planner.
How does it reflect your priorities and goals? Find one thing at a time
that you need to change about how you use your time.
Use “To-Do Lists.” Make a to-do
list for each day. Write your list according to your priorities and goals. Use
your day planner to schedule each task. If you have to carry tasks over too
often, or can’t get to things that are important, go back to your priorities
and MUST DO’s and see if there is a way to clear some of those off your
calendar.
Resources:
Goodstein, Michele. (2004). Study
Skills: Am Overhead Teaching Kit.
Scholastic.
If you would like to use this as a handout for your students please add this statement to your printed page:
Used by permission. Jorja Davis. Study Skills: The Secret to Everyday Success. http://JorjaADavisTeachersFriend.blogspot.com June 13, 2012
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