When it comes to being an effective college student, time is everything. One of the first things a student has to learn is that when they can manage their time, they can get the grades they want. There are a few steps that go into this.
Identify Assignments- Students must be checking their class sites on a daily basis to make sure that they are tracking assignments and due dates. If they don’t have this routine down already, then they must incorporate it into their daily college life.
Analyze the Task- Students must analyze each academic task that they have. This means reading, dissecting, and breaking down an assignment. Students must understand how difficult it will be, the amount of work involved, the work they are going to have to do, or if they will need help completing it.
Convert to Time- This is where timing comes in. A college student needs to estimate the amount of time of each assignment that they work on. This will help them begin to map out their next few days and weeks and allow them to successfully complete assignments. Ultimately, by whittling assignments down to a specific amount of time, students will be able to piece together their schedules. This will lead to better quality work, less rushed work, fewer “scramble sessions,” less stress, and hopefully, better grades.
Map it Out- Now that the student understands the work and how long it will take, they need to plan ahead and make sure they leave themselves enough time to produce quality work and reduce the amount of stress and scrambling they experience. This will help cut down procrastination and lead to better grades.
As students go throughout their semesters, everything they do (studying, HW assignments, readings, football games, Fraternity chapter meetings, etc.) must be converted to time. Time is the currency a college student needs to operate. When students can become consistent with this skill, their likelihood of succeeding in school becomes much higher.