At this time of year, it can be easy to run out of steam. Overlapping assignment deadlines, extra-curricular engagements, and personal commitments can start to take a toll on students’ drive, especially with the winter holidays just around the corner. Luckily, our Educational Consultants have developed a list of six ways to help keep students on track! Check out part one below.
Keep yourself organized
Students often feel overwhelmed by the amount of work that they need to complete. One of the most effective ways to tackle your tasks is to create an agenda that both lists and prioritizes your upcoming assignments. Some students prefer to list their tasks chronologically by due date, while others find it more useful to organize by the level of importance, percentage amount, or anticipated time commitment. Whether physical or electronic, a “to-do” list helps you remember your responsibilities and deadlines.
We also recommend using a calendar to map out your assignments and commitments (like practices, games, meetings, application dates, appointments, volunteer experiences, etc.). Calendars help students visualize their next steps. Some students prefer to use a physical or digital schedule that allows them to plan months in advance, whereas others use a large, dry-erase calendar to plan one month at a time. On your phone or electronic device, you can also set reminders so that you’re always prompt and prepared.
For grade 12 students, there is a lot to keep track of for post-secondary studies: applying to schools, sending grades and transcripts, writing application essays, and attending interviews. Remember to check your e-mail and your student portal(s) daily for any correspondence and updates.
Keeping yourself organized helps strengthen your work ethic and time management—transferable skills that will be critical to your success at both the post-secondary level and beyond. There is no one-size-fits-all model when it comes to self-organization; find a process and system that works best for you!
Prepare for your end of term test, projects, and assignments
Regardless of what grade you’re in, the end of term can be stressful. Students often feel that there is a lot on the line during this period, especially if they’re waiting to hear about acceptance to a college or university. To ensure that you perform well on these end-of-term assignments, start preparing early. Rather than waiting until the last minute to cram before a test, review your notes weekly to create summaries, which can then be used as comprehensive study guides. Trying to remember what you learned months ago is challenging, but developing a (bi-)weekly summary with examples will help keep course content fresh in your mind.
When creating study sheets, try to “chunk” the material by concept, unit, theory, formula, or approach. If applicable, make relevant connections between these areas as means of comparison. Some students prefer to work independently, while others prefer to work in groups. In any case, it is important that, when doing school work, you avoid distractions. Stay on task by scheduling breaks and putting your phone away. In addition to watching practice videos, highlighting and/or rewriting key information, and completing examples and practice questions, many students find the pomodoro study method effective because it allows natural, necessary breaks (which are great for grabbing a healthy snack or doing a brief exercise).
During end of term, get plenty of sleep. A tired mind has difficulty processing and retaining information. Adopting these study habits early will help you feel more confident and prepared for your exams in both high school and university.
If you’re in need of more tips for juggling your busy schedule, check out our blog post here. Our writing coaches are executive functioning experts, so if you need help with your organization or studying habits, contact us today, and check out part two next week!
