Many students return to campus with goals to start off the New Year and new semester with a bang.
The Baldwin Center for Learning and Teaching works in conjunction with the Writing Project and the Quantitative Skills Program to help students balance their schedules and learn how to become better students. Elizabeth Barnhart, director of the Baldwin Center, and Holly Schreiber '07, an academic mentor, who has been working with the program for three years, provide helpful tips to ensure success:
People tend to start the spring semester with too many New Year's resolutions.
This is where many problems arise because attempting to accomplish more than one goal at once often results in failure. A goal failed once is often not tackled again. Schreiber reminds: "You don't come back to school as Superman." Instead, Schreiber suggests prioritizing your goals and trying to accomplish one at a time, breaking your goal down in increments to measure improvement for motivation. Once you've chosen your goals, get support. Tell your friends about them; they can help keep you on track.
There is no "one size fits all" study method.
It is important for students to discover what works best for them. Barnhart does recommend that all students make a master calendar to keep track of important exam dates or paper deadlines. She also suggests reading syllabi carefully to ensure comprehension of the course goals. This will help you decide which aspects of assignments are most important to focus on. Weeding through the little details of the syllabi may seem daunting and is a task with which mentors often help students.
It is important to be realistic and keep yourself happy.
Barnhart jokes, "I try to remind students that they aren't just balancing academics but are balancing a body and life. School work isn't the only part of college."
There is no ideal student.
If you retain the most information by studying for 30 minutes and then taking a break, that is the ideal method for you. In fact, switching tasks often helps make assignments and studying less stressful. Schreiber proposes separating relaxation and work. If your room is a place for fun and diversion, consider studying in other places around campus such as in Kanbar, one of the libraries, Smith Union, or on the top floor of the Visual Arts Center.
Don't be afraid to ask for help.
Students should really consider seeking help if they are unhappy with their grades or the amount of work they are doing, or if they are unusually stressed. The Baldwin Center mentors can help improve things such as organization, motivation, time management, or performance in a specific class. The staff is willing to help students as often as they seek guidance.