Never Too Late For College

Christmas break is almost over, so it's time to start thinking about heading back to school. Some of you may be ready to get back into the groove, while others may be dreading the hectic pace of balancing school, work and outside interests. Here are some tips for everyone to help you get off on the right foot for the new semester.

Review Your Schedule

Take a minute to be sure that you're comfortable with your semester's schedule. Sometimes in an attempt to wind down the semester with as little stress as possible, it's easy to choose classes quickly and to just try to get what's open and fits your major requirements. After takiong a second look, you may discover that your schedule looks a bit too overloaded on Tuesdays and Thursdays or that you've schedule all your favorite humanities courses while neglecting any math and science blocks. Maybe there was a class you really wanted that was full. It's always possible that with unpaid tuition bills or drop outs that a space may have opened up. Give your adviser a call to see if you can set up an appointment to go over your schedule or at least check online to see if any other combinations might work better.

Get Those Books

If you're satisfied with your schedule or with most of it, you'll want to decide where you plan to buy or rent your books. The decision is up to you. There are many options, but I recommend doing some research to find out what works best for your situation. The campus book store used to be the only way to go, and it's certainly not the cheapest. Now you can buy books online, in electronic versions or even rent your books. No matter what you choose, it's a good idea to get them now so that you have them before classes start. You don't want to miss any assignments while waiting for your books to arrive.

Make a Plan

You'll feel a lot better if you've looked ahead to see just what your days will look like once classes start. If you need childcare or modified work arrangements, get those things in order now so that you'll have less to worry about once school starts back. This advice may sound pretty obvious, but I can't tell you the number of students I've seen looking to make last-minute changes to their schedules because there was some conflict they hadn't considered until it was too late. So just take a minute to review your schedule and make sure there's nothing that will trip you up once the semester gets under way. You'll be glad you took care of things now.

Good luck with your upcoming semester! And remember that a new semester is a new beginning. It's a chance to explore, learn new things and change the things you may not have been happy with in the past.

It's probably almost final exam time at your college or university. Finals can be pretty overwhelming, especially if it's your first semester. You've worked hard all semester. Don't let the stress of final exam time get you down. Here are some tips to get through it.

Make a Game Plan

You'll want to take some time to figure out a plan for tackling final exam week. Decide which classes will require the most work on your part and be sure to set aside adequate time for preparing for those. That's not to say that your easier or favorite class is not worth studying for, but it's smart to realize that the challenging work will require more time. Write down in your planner or agenda the times that you will set aside for studying and be sure to include your family in your planning process. Let them know you'll need extra study time and delegate ways for them to help, such as preparing meals or doing laundry.

Find a Study Spot

You probably have a regular study spot already, but during this intense academic time, you may need to designate a more rigid study place. When i was studying for my graduate school comprehensive exam, I studied at the the community college library where I was working on my internship. Not a lot of students spent time on the second floor, and it was far from the demands and distractions of my home. It was a great spot that really forced me to focus completely on my studies.

Take Care of Yourself

Finals time is fast-paced and hectic. But don't push yourself to the point that you're exhausted. Try to get adequate sleep and eat well. This will give you the energy and stamina you need to make it through. You also don't want to be too hard on yourself. Remember all the hard work you've put in throughout the semester and do your best to perform well on finals, but don't expect perfection. Final exams won't make or break you as a student. Finals only last a week. It'll all be over soon, and you can enjoy your long holiday break. These study tips work great for taking classes in online universities, too.

So take a deep breath and know that you'll make it through. Don't forget to smile. I'll leave you with some humor. Remember, that C isn't always your best guess on multiple choice tests and that your final exams can't be as bad as these college finals from hell.

Study groups can be very advantageous to learning. That is, if they're done correctly. This isn't to say there are strict, rigid rules for forming study groups, but you'll want to take some guidelines into consideration. There are specific benefits for adult students in studying with a group, so keep this in mind when forming a study plan.

Mix It Up

Find classmates who have a similar study philosophy to your own. Students who are serious and dedicated to doing well will make the best group contributors. This is obvious. However, we know everyone has their own style, so think about asking people to join who are also quite different from you. For example, inviting a quiet classmate to join your more extroverted group may bring a sense of introspection to sessions. Don't just ask your friends; a study group that consists of varied members is most effective and will tend to veer off task less often.

Create Order

Set some ground rules for your group. Not only must everyone participate, but you may want to have each person come to each study session prepared to teach a certain section of material. Teaching others is a great way for everyone to learn new material and to retain the knowledge. Saying and hearing the words out loud is a too often neglected study tool.

Get Comfortable

Find a place to study that is comfortable for everyone and allows you to spread out. Maybe you can invite your group home to your house. Group study time can be great for socializing and getting to know others. Younger classmates may appreciate being able to spend some time in a home-like atmosphere, rather than in the dorm or off-campus apartment. And getting together with other non-traditional students may allow opportunities for child-care sharing and commiseration.

Most importantly, with study groups, don't allow yourselves to get distracted. While it can be great to connect with others, you don't want to defeat the purpose of getting together, which is to improve your study efforts. Working as a group can lead to increased information retention and effectiveness, if done correctly.

Do you have a group study success story? What's worked for you? What hasn't?

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I was watching an episode of The Doctors this morning on TV, and they were answering a father's question about whether it was safe for his daughter, a college freshman, to take caffeine pills to help her stay awake during the stressful time of midterms and finals. This led to a discussion on why students shouldn't pull all nighters and how it's bad for their health. I got to thinking about the time I spent working with students at the community college and realized that, more often, it was the adults who were most deprived of sleep throughout the entire semester.

Many non-traditional students are working to support their families while taking classes or are taking care of children or a loved-one. Their time is very limited. I saw students go straight to class after working an 8-hour night shift. While I know that we often must do what we have to do in order to reach our goals and to move ahead in life, I would recommend trying not to sacrifice sleep when pursuing your studies. Here are some ways to stay healthy when time is short and your to-do list is long.

Get Regular Sleep

You knew I would say this, right? But it's the most obvious given the topic at hand. As Travis mentioned on The Doctors, no one can retain information if they're suffering from sleep deprivation. It's just a physiological impossibility. Your brain needs sleep to function optimally, so don't fight it.

Build In Study Time

Like I've said before, it's a really good idea to build study time into your day. You can do this by scheduling an open space between classes. This way, you're already on campus. It's a convenient time ,away from the distractions of home, to just sit down and bang out some studying. Maybe you can have your lunch during this time also.

Eat Well

Speaking of lunch, don't forget to eat a balanced diet. Actually, don't forget to eat at all. I used to see students all the time who would tell me that they didn't have time to eat. Bad idea. Depriving your body of nutrients is like not fueling up your car, it just won't go without putting something into it. Bring along some healthy (or at least relatively healthy) snacks from home that are portable and can be eaten on the go. Bringing your own snacks saves you both money and time.

Socialize

Yes, seriously, socialize. I know you barely have time to breathe. I get it. I do. I also get the burn-out that comes from not doing anything for yourself. A good way to combine study with socializing is to start a study group. Maybe there are some other non-traditional aged students in your toughest class. You could get together to study and talk about the things you all are going through while pursuing your degree. If there aren't other non-trads in your class, start a conversation with some of the younger students near you. Once you get to know a small group, it might be nice to invite them over to your house for a study session. Many students haven't had a home-cooked meal since leaving for school and might appreciate just hanging out in a family atmosphere. And it could help a bit with inter-generational relations. Norma writes more about this at her blog, Back 2 School Moms.

Drink Your Water

Yes, it's okay to drink some coffee when you're feeling drowsy, but don't forget to stay hydrated throughout the day with water. We all know it's good for our health, but it's particularly important to stay hydrated in periods of stress and when you're on the go a lot, which is when most of us forget something like this that's so simple.

Know Your Best Time of Day

We all have a certain time of day when we're most energetic. Some of us are early birds, while others are night owls. Use that peak time to your advantage. If you're an early riser, get up before your usual wake-up call. This will allow you to sneak in some extra studying, or even some time for yourself. Remember that little thing called burn-out that I mentioned? You may also want to schedule the bulk of your classes early, when you're most refreshed and alert. Same goes for you night owls. Night classes work great for people like you because they're often offered only once a week. This kind of schedule can sometimes free up time for other commitments. If you don't think your attention span can handle three hours of class, however, you may want to reconsider.

Vent

Yep, sometimes you just have to let it all out. I know college isn't easy. There are so many dynamics involved in adding college to your current lifestyle, it's bound to cause you some aggravation. Your family may not be giving you the support you need. Your hectic lifestyle may be getting to you. Any number of things may send you reeling. Don't keep it inside! Talk to your family about your concerns or talk to an academic adviser.  You never know what kinds of solutions you'll come up with by working together and letting it out. You're only human. Don't try to go it alone.

I hope these suggestions help. You can always feel free to ask me any questions you may have about dealing with stress and staying healthy. I'm happy to offer assistance. Remember, if you're not taking care of yourself, you're no good to your studies or to the people around you. Be good to yourself.

Image courtesy of Rennett Snow

If you're a new college student, chances are you may be unsure about taking notes. You've been out of school awhile, so your skills are rusty. Your instructor may talk too fast. Maybe you're not sure which information to write down. Maybe you just don't know how to organize all that information. I'd like to offer some tips that may help you to find a note taking system that works for you.

Be Prepared

One thing that mya help quite a bit is to take a look at the chapter before coming to class. You may not necessarily have to read the entire thing, but at least familiarize yourself with the content a bit. This will make it easier to follow what the professor is talking about. You may find that you don't have to write as much down if you already have some idea about the material.

Get Involved

Take part in the conversation. Share what you know about the topic, and ask questions. Getting involved in the lesson personalizes the material, making it easier to understand and more relevant to you. Non-traditional students are known for their active participation, you know! Maybe the younger students will even open up a bit with you leading the way.

Look For Clues

Be aware of your professor's actions. If he seems to get excited about the material, it's likely you'll be seeing that information on the test. So write it down. Listen for words like "in conclusion", "the most important part":, or "the follwing factors". These kind of words clue you in to information that is important, so be sure to include the facts in your notes.

Organize Things

It's important to choose a format for organizing your notes. Choose one that resonates with you or something that seems to fit the course material. You may choose to structure your notes in paragraphs for subjects like history. Maybe each paragraph represents an event or time period. Don't, however, feel that you have to write complete sentences. There simply isn't enough time for that. Maybe you prefer an outline form. Outlining your notes helps to see how things go together and is a great way to recognize patterns.

Put It In Its Place

You may want to consider using a three-ring binder. This way, you can insert handouts from the instructor where they correspond in the lesson. You can also add notes of your own later without worrying about whether you'll be able to find which class notes your information goes with. I'd advise writing on only one side of the page and not being concerned with saving paper. Leave white space for adding sketches and diagrams that will help make things clear. Maybe taking notes on 3 x 5 cards will work for you. This way, the information can be organized the way you want it, and it's in a handy travel form for studying on the go. As an adult student, you'll need to sneak in study time wherever you can!

These are just a few ideas to get you started. Check out the College Board's article on note taking for more information. I defnitely like what they say about reiewing your notes. Doing this soon after class ends will help you to retain the information. What works for you with note taking? I"d love to hear about it!