Contributed by Whittier Strong, 2015
Be honest with yourself
Look at your life schedule–168 hours a week
What time is not available to you?
What time is available to you?
What is important to you?
Look at your course schedules/syllabi
What is due when?
How big are the assignments?
How can I break big assignments down into small, manageable chunks?
Consider the steps we have looked at in this class–brainstorming, research, rough draft, first draft, revision, final draft.
Look ahead–what is due a week from now? A month from now?
Develop a rhythm
Consider a weekly schedule
Learn your reading pace to help schedule reading time
Get rid of distractions
This means texting, Facebook, Twitter–maybe even internet access!
Admit you need to goof off!
Does goofing off work better as a reward or as a scheduled event?
Avoid all-nighters
You don’t get as much done as you hope to
Your brain isn’t functioning well enough to work effectively
There are both short-term and long-term negative consequences for your health
Be gracious with yourself
Recognize that it’s going to take awhile to learn how to do this well
Good habits take time to develop
Accept that you will make mistakes along the way
Persevere!
Work around your imperfections
Be honest with yourself about what those are
Determine what you can change and what you cannot
Develop the methods that work best for you
If you’ve made an honest attempt at something and it’s not working, don’t keep doing it!
Celebrate your successes!