Have you started the semester off on the wrong foot? Don't worry, it's not the end of the world. What matters is not giving up and, from here to June, improving and raising those grades. [caption id="attachment_10390" align="alignnone" width="1024"] [/caption] Everyone goes through a rough patch or moments where focusing on studying is harder than juggling seven flaming torches. No problem, at
eTítulo we are here to help and we are going to go over a series of guidelines that will help us take control again.
Schedules are important. Choose yours.
If things are not going well for us, it is clear that we need to spend more time studying and, if we do not organize ourselves well, time can slip away from us. We may think that the semester has just begun, but it is not really the case and the course will enter its final stretch sooner than we imagine. If we want our effort to be reflected in our grades, we have to step up our game. That is why it is essential that we have our study time well defined and that we stick to our schedules. It is not about imposing a strict regimen of waking up at six in the morning, doing a hundred push-ups and starting to study, but rather we must be realistic about what we are going to accomplish and force ourselves to spend some time each day organizing what we see in class, taking notes, reviewing... the sooner, the better.
New study techniques
If we feel that the time we dedicate to studying is not as productive as we would like, or that studying is so tedious that we get easily distracted, we should start trying other study techniques that are more beneficial for us, such as
comprehensive reading,
effective underlining,
studying with flashcards,
self-exams,
mind maps,
mnemonics, learning how to
take good notes… In short, we have many options and still plenty of time to put them into practice and find the one that best suits our needs.
Say yes to agendas
Are we a disaster when it comes to organizing our time? Are the
assignments piling up at the end of the semester and we can't keep up? The solution is easier than it seems: first, we need to buy an agenda and second, and most importantly, write in it. We need to note down the deadlines for assignments, the topics we have to review for classes, when the exams are and how much time in advance we need to start preparing for each one... Basically, we need to write down whatever we need to be able to calculate our available time properly next time. It is not difficult and there is no excuse, agendas are available at any store starting from 1 euro or we can use our phone or computer for free.
Take notes by hand
It has been proven that
writing by hand helps improve memory and that helps us improve our grades on exams. Yes, using a computer in class is great: the notes are legible and organized, we can share them with our classmates by email or upload them to a platform in a matter of seconds, we can have them sorted by subjects and folders without taking up space and without carrying notebooks and pens, and we can even check social media during breaks (only during breaks, please). However, unfortunately, writing by hand until our fingers get calloused and our arm hurts from taking notes at lightning speed is the best way to learn.
Attending class makes a difference
Yes, sometimes or almost always we have much more fun things to do and things we would rather do than go to class, but if we want to get good grades, we will have to attend. By going to class, we will understand what we need to study much better and we will learn much more. In addition, listening to the class and taking our own notes is essential to make studying easier for us. We should only skip class when it is really necessary, not every day. If we are consistent, we will create a routine and it will not be so hard for us to go.
Finishing assignments as soon as possible is a good idea
Now that the semester is not very advanced yet, it is the time to start working on all the individual assignments we have or want to do. Later, we will have to make time for group assignments and for those that are always assigned at the last moment or to improve a grade. If we stay on top of everything, we will reduce stress and increase our productivity and grades. We just need to plan well and not procrastinate.
Reading recommended books gives us many points
We chose this major for a reason, right? So if we like the subject matter, we will enjoy reading books about it. We will expand our knowledge and save ourselves a lot of study time (in addition to being able to show off in class and get some extra credit in our grades). If we have the habit of reading for a little while every day, we just need to replace the novel with the books that have been recommended to us. They will be more interesting than we think.
Don't let guilt hold us back
At this point, it is pointless to beat ourselves up over how poorly we did last semester or how we started this one. It is time to get to work and change our strategy to improve our grades. If we dwell on our mistakes, we can feel down and end up wanting to give up. It is good to realize our mistakes so that we know which behaviors we need to change and to develop a new strategy, but overthinking the matter only harms us. Our attitude is as important as our work.
