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Student Success Resolution #2: Less is More
By Meaghan Montrose
2010 is quickly moving along. Hopefully by now you have mastered the Student Success Resolution #1 of writing everything down. So, now you know what you HAVE to do, what do you do next?
Resolution #2: Less is More
The focus of this tip is the concept of less is more. This has to do with the amount of work you do each night and the length of time you study at once.
The first idea is to break all of your larger assignments, projects, and reports into smaller chunks. It is less daunting and more manageable to deal with small tasks rather than trying to tackle the assignment at once. When you have a large assignment, try to break it into parts that make sense. For instance, if you are writing an essay about a book you can make a list of all the things you need to do to complete the assignment such as develop a thesis statement, make an outline of your thoughts, locate supporting quotes from the text, write an introductory paragraph, write a rough draft, and revise your draft.
By doing this you have taken an overwhelming assignment and turned it into six smaller assignments instead. Based on the overall due date of the essay, you can designate times on a planner to complete each of the individual tasks. This technique will keep you on track for your due date and lessen the chances of you procrastinating and cramming in the assignment at the last minute. Consequently your final product will be of a higher quality than if you tried to do it all at once. This also gives you the opportunity to seek help from the teacher if you need before it is too late.
In addition to breaking big assignments into smaller ones, it is also a good idea to limit the overall time you spend studying and doing schoolwork. It is best to work in short, uninterrupted periods of time. Once you are prepared to study, you should work (without distractions) for about 30-40 min. After that time has passed, take a break! The break shouldn’t be too long (especially if you have a lot of work to do). A break of 10-15 min is a good idea. During this time you can check email, get a snack, go for a walk, listen to some music, etc… It doesn’t matter exactly what you do. The key is that you are taking a break and giving yourself a chance to get away. When you come back to study/work you will feel refreshed and prepared to work. These little breaks are also great rewards to look forward to after putting in a solid time period of work.
Good luck with this student success resolution. Check back soon for the next tip!
Topics: Study Skills and Learning Strategies | 2 Comments »
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This is a nice idea. I will definitely have my two children do this. I feel the same way with my own work project- I do a little at a time and check each part off on a To-Do list! Thanks for the tips, keep them coming!
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