By Dustin Sable
As we've said before, college is truly one of the most life-changing, fun, and beneficial experiences that a person can choose to pursue. We've explored a couple of college essentials crucial for you to develop and grow in, whether you're already in college or dreaming about where want to study for ministry. In week 1, we talked about how you can foster spiritual growth while in college. Last week, we discussed the importance of finding and maintaining friendships while in college. And finally, this week we're wrapping up our third college essential: Academics.
This growth plan is designed with tips and tricks to help students succeed academically and create an effective learning environment for themselves. The plan involves three main steps, Get Organized, Get Productive, and Get Learning.
Step 1: Get Organized
- Google Calendar. The number one thing that I encourage students to do is organize their life with Google Calendar. This process is super simple. First, I have them map out all "firm" commitments (class, work, meetings), then, using the time left over, encourage them to schedule time with God, self-care, sleep, exercise, and of course, homework.
- Todoist. Todoist is a task manager app that allows students to input all of their assignments by due date for every one of their classes. After that, the app will then show you a weekly view of what you have assigned for every class in a given week. This helps students organize their assignments, understand the flow of their semester and to get ahead!
- Weekly Review. One practice that I find essential in keeping organized is a weekly review of the student’s calendar and task manager. This habit allows the you to look ahead to the next week and set short term goals of what you would like to get done!
Step 2: Get Productive
- Self-Care. A tired, sluggish, anxious, and hungry student will struggle to effectively get work done productively. Often, people can fall into the trap of seeing sleep, exercise, devotions, or eating as getting in the way of our homework. However, the opposite is true! We will only be able to be productive if we are living a balanced life!
- Work for Fifteen Minutes. Another time management tip that helps me get stuff done is to dedicate myself to homework for fifteen minutes. Often projects can seem overwhelming, and building momentum is challenging. However, by committing to work for fifteen minutes, students can muster the initial motivation that then allows them to work for longer.
- Set Clear Short-Term Goals. Another helpful tip is to set concrete short-term goals for studying. While many students simply commit to working on homework, instead set specific concrete goals for your homework time. I.E., in this study session, I commit to writing one journal for New Testament and finding my sources for my theology paper.
- Avoid Distractions-.This tip might sound obvious. Still, it is an essential lesson that many students wait to learn until they have to. This varies for every person but helps the student identify how they study best. With or without people? With or without music? In a coffee shop or in the library? Regardless of their responses, challenge yourself to study in a way that maximizes focus and minimizes distractions.
Step 3. Get Learning.
- Quizlet. Quizlet is a useful online flashcard website that allows students to make their own digital flashcards or utilize the flashcards of others. This website is excellent for studying for tests and quizzes. Additionally, once a flashcard deck is created, you can study everywhere!
- Find a Process Buddy. For some students, assigned readings can be challenging to comprehend, especially if students are expected to have mastery of the material before the beginning of class. One awesome remedy to this situation is finding a buddy in your class to process readings with and try to work together with to come to greater understanding of the text!
- Talk with Your Professor. Another tried and true method to use if you are struggling with learning in a class is to meet with your professor for extra help or advice on succeeding in the specific class they teach. Professors at IWU are INCREDIBLE and are always willing to meet with you to help you succeed in and outside of the classroom.
- Utilize a Writing Center. The Inkwell is a writing center specific to Indiana Wesleyan University, but similar writing centers can be found on many college campuses. Writing centers help students outline, plan, and edit their papers. Whether you write at a high level or struggle with aspects of the writing process, these centers are great resources to bring your writing to the next level!
- Center for Student Success. Finally, if a student is working hard in all of these areas, they might want to get academic help from a Center for Student Success or a similar department on a college campus. This office provides academic counseling, accommodations, and tutoring for struggling students or those who desire to do better in their academics. There is no shame for being intentional about getting the help you need!
