-       Have all of the materials you need to study (books, notebooks, highlighters, etc.) – don’t leave anything you might need behind

-       Make sure you eat a good meal before you begin studying, this way you will avoid having to get up for snacks

-       Get plenty of rest so you can stay concentrated

-       Keep a bottle of water and a couple of snacks with you so if you do get hungry, you don’t have to get up and distract yourself or break your concentration

-       Study in 50 minute blocks with 10 minute breaks – this will help keep you focused and refreshed

Having the right attitude when studying is important, too. Sometimes we go into studying thinking, “I don’t like this professor,” “I hate this class,” or “I’m not even learning anything useful,” which can turn into further procrastination and, in turn poor performance on exams. Even if we don’t enjoy a class or connect particularly well with our professors, we’re still being graded on our performance so we might as well perform as best as we can. Some other thoughts to avoid include:

-       “I can work on this later…”

-       “Nobody else around me is studying.”

-       “I don’t want to miss my favorite show…”

-       “My professor expects me to know too much information – there’s no way I’ll be ready.”

Our advice: be patient, focus as best as you can, and reward yourself with a short break once an hour. Make sure you’re working in an area conducive to good studying and remember; Hulu and Netflix will always be there after finals are over! And remember, when you’re finished studying, reward yourself! Go for a walk away from campus, have some froyo or watch your favorite show – you’ve earned it. Following these rules will get you into good study habits and help you do your best on exams.

Good luck this week!

Kaitlin & Mike

If you do decide to request a peer tutor at the ERC and it seems like that’s the kind of support you’re looking for, get your request in by the deadline. Thursday, April 14 is the last day to request a tutor.

Remember that a peer tutor isn’t a magician. Don’t expect to re-live the semester through tutoring sessions. Peer tutors will guide you through tough concepts, but you need to which concepts you find tough. So, if you end up with a peer tutor, go to your session prepared with specific concerns or questions.

And don’t forget about office hours! Your professors are around through the end of the semester. Just because you haven’t been to office hours before doesn’t mean you can’t start now.

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24-Hour Time Grid

How often do you look back on your week and wonder where all your time went? You had a blast, but somehow that paper didn’t get written. There’s a test coming up next week and you haven’t even started studying.

The secret to managing your time wisely is to assess what you did and didn’t get done at the end of each day. Whether you use a paper calendar, iCal, or Google, go over your to-do list daily. Consistency is key.

To get an idea of what each day should look like, picture the day in three categories, each 8 hours long:
Rest – Academics – Personal.

Got sleep?
This is one of the anchors in your daily schedule. Set your ideal bedtime and block off 8 hours of glorious sleep. Night owls just end up being tired and less productive the next day.

Academics
Your next anchors are class and study time. You are in class for an average of 4 hours per day and will ideally spend as much time on homework, reading, projects, etc. Block out the time you are in class each day and make room for 4 more hours of schoolwork each day. Four hours a day times 7 days a week gives you 28 full hours for homework. Didn’t think you had that kind of time, did you?

Plan to spend at least 10 minutes reviewing your notes after each class. These few minutes spent on reviewing the material will vastly improve how much you retain. Condense your notes each day and review them for just a few minutes a day. You’ll avoid the stress and sleep deprivation that comes with cramming before exams if you get familiar with the course material.

“You” Time
The last 8 hours of your day are entirely for your personal good: meals, socializing, sports, job, etc. If you need extra study time, it’s coming out of these last 8 hours. Don’t sacrifice Zzz’s!

It doesn’t always seem like  it, but there is more than enough time to be a good student while taking time out for yourself. Your college life should be fun and productive. Make an effort to take at least an hour every day to stop and explore your neighborhood, check out FitRec and unplug for a few minutes! We’re confident you’ll see an improvement in your life at BU.