recognize
stress:

Stress symptoms include mental, social, and
physical manifestations. These include exhaustion, loss of/increased
appetite, headaches, crying, sleeplessness, and oversleeping. Escape
through alcohol, drugs, or other compulsive behavior are often
indications. Feelings of alarm, frustration, or apathy may accompany
stress.

• Learning to learn
• Managing
  time
• Managing
  stress
• Avoiding
  procrastination
• 
  Prioritizing tasks
• Thinking critically
• Thinking
  like a genius
• 
  Radical thinking
• 
  Developing self-discipline ◄
• Motivating yourself
• Solving problems



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Self-discipline

Motivation

Does your level of motivation seem to be a barrier to achieving academic success? If so, check out the following tips on getting motivated:

Fighting Procrastination

Have you become an expert at putting off your studies and making excuses for why you did not get your assignment(s) in on time? If this sounds like you, read through the tips below on fighting procrastination.

Scheduling Your Time

Find a place where you can work effectively. If your room is noisy and your
roommate likes to entertain, or if you have too many welcome but unexpected
visitors, plan to work in your residential college library or in one of the
University libraries. You will accomplish more in two hours of concentrated
studying than in a whole evening interrupted by visitors, phone calls, and
unexpected temptations.

• Use most of your free weekday hours for study. Do not try
to do all your studying in the evenings or put it off until the weekends.

• You may want to break up study periods of several hours by
working on two or three different subjects. At times it may be more efficient
to concentrate on one subject, but if you notice that you are no longer
studying with full attention, switch to a new subject. Starting a new subject
may rekindle your interest and increase your learning rate. After two hours of
intense concentration take a break.

• Working with a small group of fellow students can be
extremely effective in both tackling weekly problem sets and reviewing for
exams. Studying with others can help you move more efficiently through
difficult material and judge more accurately the state of your own preparation.
Consult with your instructor in each course to determine the extent to which
collaboration on assignments is acceptable.

• Remember that papers due at the end of the term require a
great deal of reading and research, which should be started early. In brief,
you will have to learn that only a fraction of the time you do not spend in
classes, labs, and precepts is “free time.”

• Schedule regular review periods.

• Balance your academic commitments, your job assignments,
and your recreational activities. If you are involved in sports or other
regularly scheduled and demanding extracurricular activities, you will have to
be especially careful about budgeting your time. Frequent weekend trips will
cut seriously into your uninterrupted study time.

top

Here are five ways to maximize your academic performance.

These five suggestions are not magic potions guaranteeing a transcript filled with "A's". Following these suggestions will take time and entail hard work on your part. While they do not come with a money-back guarantee, you will be rewarded with better grades by putting them into practice.



1. Come to class and actively participate.
   
   • Students who do poorly in class usually have lots of absences.
     
     • Absences hurt grades because class time is often spent on material not covered in the textbook. [ Tom Wayman's "Did I miss anything?" poem ]
     • Even when textbook material is covered in class, discussions and lecture time clarify and amplify what is in the text.
     • Actively engage the material:
       
       1. Write things down: Take notes.
       2. Speak up: Ask questions and make comments.
       3. If you have to miss class, borrow a friend's notes and review whatever material is available online pertaining to this class.
          
           
       4. Carefully study assigned readings and handouts.
          
          • Study --- don't just scan -- all (not just bits and pieces) of the assigned textbook readings.
          • Maximize your textbook reading by employing effective study techniques.
          • Read the assigned chapters just before or immediately after they are discussed in class.
             
          • Complete the homework assignments thoughtfully, making an effort to learn something (as opposed to just getting the assignment done).
            
            • Make connections between homework assignments and concepts discussed in class or read in the textbook. [ more info ]
            • Don't be content with knowing right answer. Know why that answer is the correct one.
            • Turn in assignments on time or before the due date. Assignments coming in late receive reduced grades.
              
               
            • Use exam study guides wisely.
              
              • Start early. Don't wait until midnight the night before the exam to look at the study guide.
                
              • Don't be in a hurry just to find the answers. Read the study guide carefully. [ study guides for all courses ]
              • Do not try to use the exam study guides as substitutes for coming to class or studying the textbook.
              • Review your notes and read the textbook BEFORE using the exam study guide.
                 
              • Interact with the instructor and your classmates.
                
                • Discuss the course concepts and assignments with your classmates.
                • Exchange ideas via e-mail or organize a study group to meet in the Commons or in the library.
                • Take turns explaining concepts to your classmates. A great way to learn something is to teach it to someone else.
                • Contact the instructor to ask questions.