GETTING STARTED

• HAVE A PLAN
  • Create a plan of success. Look over all class materials and textbooks the first week of the semester. Get a good idea of what will be important in each class and when tests and assignments are due.
  • Plan to spend extra time studying material of classes with more difficult subject matter. Knowing in advance when you need more concentrated study time will relieve conflicts for your time.
  • Plan a pattern of study. Study material from the same class at the same time each day. One sure way to a more successful college experience is to make studying a habit.
• STICK TO YOUR PLAN
  • Keep your plan with you at all times. When confronted with choices, you can refer to your plan and say, "I've got to study American History now. Can I meet you later?"
  • Don't change your plan unless your priorities have changed. If your plan states that you will read your English assignment from 2:00 to 3:00, stick to that plan. If you find you need extra time to study something else, reorganize your plan to include additional study time.
  • Plan to say "No" some of the time. College is often a matter of making choices. There will be many times when you would like to join your friends for a movie or campus event but you have a paper due or an exam scheduled for the next day. Realize that when you say "No" it is just for that event. You can go to the next volleyball game or the next dinner out. You just can't go this time.
• PRIORITIZE
  • Learn to recognize what things are most important and put those things first. You will feel better if you tackle the most difficult task first. The satisfaction of getting a tough job done will energize you to complete the rest of your assignments.
  • Learn to be flexible about changing priorities. In a college environment, change is inevitable. You planned to study psychology tonight, but your speech presentation got moved up a day and you have not finished working on your speech. Reorganize your priorities, reschedule studying psychology and use that time to work on your speech.
  • Set goals by the day, the week, and the month to help you focus on your priorities. If you know where you want to be in one year, five years or ten years, your priorities will fall into place and you will be faced with less conflicts for your time and energy.

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