The Balancing Act: Advice to Help College Students Succeed

by Eleanor Siegel

 

Entering college freshmen find book learning only part of the school experience. They also find a steep learning curve when it comes to finding the tools to balance social demands, heavy course loads, and self-examination.

 

Some freshmen find the task more difficult than others, and some even drop out, causing parents, colleges, and universities major concerns, says Betsy Barefoot, Ed.D., co-director of research and publication at the National Resource Center for the Freshman Year Experience, the University of South Carolina.

 

Students leave a school for many reasons. They may not find a sense of place or community. Some grapple with time management or fail to identify an individual goal. Or, explains Barefoot, they may work too many hours at a paying job. Barefoot points to research which demonstrates that students who work up to 20 hours on campus are likely to be successful, while those who work more than 20 hours, especially if the work has nothing to do with their academic career, are less likely to be successful. "Students who need to work more than 20 hours should purposely drop to a part-time course load," she suggests. Today, many students, says Barefoot, work to support their lifestyle, car, latest CDs, stereo, and clothing -- items which they feel are essential. By acting that way in the present, they sacrifice the future --  jeopardizing the chance for a successful college experience.

 

Time Management 101

One of the first lessons new freshmen time. "I call it self-management, not time management," says Mitzi Weinman, president of TimeFinder and editor of On Time, a free newsletter about managing time. In her Newton, Massachusetts, company, she works with clients to help them become more focused and effective with time, and to manage paper to avoid clutter.

People procrastinate because they get overwhelmed -- they tell themselves that if they don't have the eight hours, they won't do the work. Anxiety triggers the procrastination. To alleviate this problem, Weinman says, "Try asking, If I have this hour,' what can I do in this hour? How do I start?"

 

Let your first purchase be a good pocket planner, and then get the syllabus from each class, recommends Weinman. Review the semester's assignments, and then, using the planner, block out all the class time followed by specific times for studying. "Decide where to study and examine the environment. If your dorm is a partying dorm, take your things to a study room or the library. Also be sure to leave time for social events," advises Weinman. Students must also assess their abilities, says Weinman. If, for example, a class requires reading a chapter a night, they should know that denser technical reading takes more time because the material is more difficult to digest.

 

Record deadlines for bigger assignments by working backward from the due date, suggests Weinman. "Create an outline not for the paper, but for the actions you need to take. Build in research time, and time to must learn is to prioritize and manage their read and coordinate notes. There is a difference between a deadline and when you will do the work. The worst mistake is to wait until the last minute. Good study habits create better learning because you learn in smaller pieces, which ensures that learning takes place and is remembered. And learning is the reason you are investing in education."

 

Don't make the mistake of underestimating how long an assignment will take to complete. Build in delays, says Weinman. "If the assignment is due April 18th, tell yourself it's due April 1st, so you build in a three-week cushion."

 

Successful  Studying, A Student's Primer

To prepare for exams, Dick Gallagher, author of How to Study, suggests regular class attendance. "During class, write down each one of the teacher's questions," because chances are those questions will find their way onto exams. He also suggests familiarizing yourself with the textbook by reading the introduction and the conclusion, and skimming each page. While studying, "Read in little chunks and answer the question, What does this remind me of?'' Repeat the facts, write them down, and before you go to bed, listen to a tape you've prepared. When you get up, play the tape. Physically associate information with a place, a chair, the kitchen table, the fireplace mantel. Outline the material and use index cards," Also, assess your learning style--visual, audio, or kenesthetic--so that you can reinforce material in a way that helps you.

 

Gallagher recommends studying in groups. "When you find a tough professor, ask that professor if you can have the last five minutes to set up study groups. Take anyone who wants to study, and form a big group, starting with at least 10 students, because many will leave. If you have a 50-page chapter, you can divide the task, make notes, share your work, and cut your workload by 75 percent."

 

A "Major" Decision

In addition to the challenge of learning new work and study habits, students also feel pressured by having to decide on a major. Parents contribute to this pressure. "Many parents pressure students to find a major, or worry when they change the major, because such changes often have financial consequences," says Diane Austin, dean of students at Lasell College, Newton, and author of a chapter in the book, Designing Successful Transitions: A Guide for Orienting Students to College. "Yet, we know students come to college without understanding their options, and they have an ill-defined sense of their strengths and weaknesses. So, we encourage parents to let students make their decisions and release them from that pressure. Understand that 75 percent will change their majors at least once. It's quite normal."

 

Austin suggests using the month of August to have serious discussions and bring up subjects like changing a major. Parents can state that they are not prying; they just want to talk and hear their child's feelings. "Some students think that in the telling, they are giving up the right to make a decision."

 

In the long run, freshmen who have their family's support, who use the college's resources, who make social contacts by getting involved in activities, and who learn to ask for help will find themselves the most successful. Most importantly, they will master the balancing act to enjoy the college experience.

 

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