“And remember all of you… though this project is not due for three weeks, I expect you to at least have an outline two weeks prior to presentation.”
These words tend to enter one of my ears and exit the other all in a matter of seconds. Though I consider myself a student with relatively high academic accomplishments, I find that recommended study strategies directly linked to scholastic success are useless to many elite students. Through attending an obscenely small school all my life, I can say with confidence that the strategies that have worked for my peers and I are specific to our confined environments. If you really think about it, a majority of study struggle comes from a lack of motivation. It’s occurred to all of us; I’ve experienced it as well as every student in the high school system. But with some simple variation, a study plan compiled to your needs can be that barrier between eagerness to finish your assignment and eagerness to finish your assignment efficiently.
Silence is not always golden: In many cases, the notion of a silent work environment is incredibly appealing. Easy concentration and no conversation. In my case as well as some others however, the buzz of a cafe or just the simplicity of a good song is what clears the mind. Though far more exposed to distraction, the noise and energy can be redirected into the work space. Think aloud! Draw inspiration from where you find yourself. If you wish to write a standout English paper, look around. Scan your surroundings in an attempt to draw descriptive and creative analogies in relation to your subject.
“The air was crisp like fresh brewed coffee on a cold winter morning.”
Referencing your surroundings is additionally a creative way to solve problems relating to quantitative reasoning. By doing so, taking a unit or term such as joules per mole and change that to espresso shots per glass. Though the numeric portion of the question never changes, working with simple concepts lets you visualize the problem in a new light. This concept is a great way to summarize key topics and save well needed time for additional courses which may require attention as well.
Time Management. How Important Is It Really? Short answer, incredibly important. But why? Why do I have to flesh all my time out working on a project due a month in advance? I work better under pressure anyway.
Think hard about these statements very briefly. You remember that one assignment long ago to which you performed sub-par. Why? Because you convinced yourself you excel under an absurd amount of pressure even when you had a very blatant opportunity to avoid this altogether .
There is a massive difference between stressing over an assignment due to its difficulty and stressing over an assignment because of your lack of work ethic. There is no other way to sugar coat it. I admit it. I am an avid procrastinator myself. Though through time, I have learned that the opportunities we are given by our educators are not to torture us and deprive us of our social lives, but rather to learn how to manage and balance our hours between books and friends. Keeping this in mind going forward, it should be noted that your social life depends on an even schedule of dispersed work.
And finally… HOMEWORK. The Bane of Our Existence?
Homework is easily one of the most controversial additives to school systems all around the world. Though seen by our educators to be beneficial, the stress which is placed upon teens and young adults to complete these practices under incredibly limited time is what gives these papers, packets and reviews such a negative stigma. At home assignments are seen to be unnecessary by many students as we already have seven in school hours daily.
The education system in Finland recently publicized a statement boasting its astounding academic surge after homework was no longer considered a requirement. Students showed a greater personal urge to study rather than a forced requirement to do so.
All of my jealousies aside, I do believe that our homework we are given is frequently taken for granted. Homework for me personally has aided me through all my previous exams as an additional source of review. Though the assignments are never fun when due the following day, the completion and dedication of doing so will help in the long run.
Conclusively, these systems are by all means NOT the only way people regularly study. Some people do in fact work extraordinarily under pressure or catch on to difficult topics in an easy manor without the need to form tricks to memorize. This is the fascinating thing about the school system. Students are all pushed to get creative and learn overtime to develop skills that will let them match their academic goals. Without standard study strategies, visualization and inventive ideas would not be incorporated into the education system which we are a part of presently.
