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Time Management and Planning

Time management and planning are essential in order to be successful in college and life in general. The following tips have been provided to assist you with this process:

At the beginning of the semester, spend some time transferring assignment and paper dates from your syllabi to a desk calendar, planner, or mobile reminder app. Brainstorm how you can break down each assignment into more manageable chunks, such as writing a paragraph per day for a paper or setting aside 30 minutes daily for each class to study. Small study sessions each day are more productive than a cram session the night before the exam and helps with controlling anxiety levels.
Organize your study space and get rid of distractions! It is easier to focus when your space is “clean” based on your personal standards. Turn off your phone or use an app, such as Cold Turkey, to block access to addicting social media apps and games during study time.
Develop a routine and stick to it. Consider scheduling study sessions during times when you are naturally more alert and your home environment is less distracting, such as early morning for a morning person or when everyone else is asleep for a night owl.
Make daily to-do lists with everything you would like to accomplish, academic or otherwise. Prioritize your list in order of importance and work on completing quick and easy tasks first to enhance a feeling of productivity.
Focus on one assignment or activity at a time. Resist the temptation to skip to another assignment when feeling challenged as it increases the odds of the harder assignment portion not being completed that day.
Do not forget to take breaks, but make sure you do not go beyond the time set aside for it! Short mind breaks are useful transitions between subject changes or when you are feeling overwhelmed.

Review these other resources for more information about time management and planning:

Tips to Get the College Semester Off to a Good Start

Time Management Tips for Busy College Students

Digital Assignment Planner

How to Stop Procrastinating

Time Management Calculator

Study Tips

Many students find college coursework much more challenging than high school. You may have been able to “wing” your assessments and papers in high school, but that is not likely at the college level. The study tips and resources below should assist with navigating difficult coursework.

Attend every class, if possible. Class instruction may include helpful insights for subject comprehension from your instructor or classmates. Some instructors use lectures to create a large portion of their exams and missing class puts you at a disadvantage on test day.
Develop good note-taking skills. Avoid trying to write down everything the instructor says word-for-word. Instead, pick out the important ideas and connect them to other topics or subjects you have learned about. Visit the Education Corner for more information about active listening.
Approach all class readings with a critical thinking standpoint. Write down your thoughts and any connections you make to other class material in the margins. Use symbols to indicate portions of the text that surprised or confused you. Is the reading a continuation of a current theme or a new concept? Visit this Harvard Library website for further detail on interrogating texts.
Mind mapping allows you to visualize ideas and relationships for many topics. This may be useful for visual learners, especially if you add the use of color. Find out about mind mapping.
Let’s face it, sometimes we must memorize certain history facts, literary definitions, or scientific terminology before anything else makes sense. Using acronyms, rhymes, chunking, or visual cues can improve memorization. Visit these sites for memory and mnemonic devices and additional memorization tips.
Tell your friends or family what you just learned! It will force you to explain the topic in your own words and help you retain the information better.
For math or technical courses, practice working problems and figuring out why the steps are able to help you solve the problem.

Review these resources for more study tips:

How to Study Web Search

Studying 101: Study Smarter Not Harder

In addition to the study tips provided, Winthrop offers assistance with tutoring and writing:

Academic Success Center

Writing Center

Soar Above Test Anxiety

We are committed to helping our Winthrop Eagles soar. Assessing your skill level is important to ensure your success. You may be someone who experiences test anxiety, but there are practical ways to help you manage those feelings. Some stress during an exam can heighten your focus and help keep your energy up. It can also mean that you care about the outcome. Managing your emotions in a way that allows you to concentrate and produce the results you desire is the goal.

Strategies

Approach the exam with confidence.
Be well prepared and include as much self-testing in your review as possible.
Focus on healthy eating, exercise and rest habits prior to testing.
Simulate the exam to better manage test anxiety.
Challenge negative thoughts.
Get a good night's sleep.

On Test Day

Be on time.
Go to the bathroom prior to being seated.
Take a break if exam permits.
Anticipate some physical distress symptoms, such as headaches, nausea, feelings of hot or too cold, etc. Remain calm and take deep breaths until it passes.
Sit in a location where you will be less distracted.
Bring a small snack to replenish energy and help take your mind off of your anxiety.

During the Exam

Read the directions and entire questions carefully.
Take a minute to organize your ideas.
If you feel very anxious in the test, change positions to help you relax. Stretch your arms and legs and take a few slow deep breaths to relax. Then return where you left off.
Manage your time effectively. Many exams include a countdown timer.
Focus on the present, not the past or future or what other students are doing.
If the exam is more difficult than you anticipated, remain positive and do your best to achieve the goal of a passing grade.
Stay focused when others finish early. There's no reward for finishing first.
Proofread when finished.

After the Exam

Treat yourself. Go to see a movie with a friend, grab a special drink, or your favorite meal.
Make a list of which strategies worked, no matter how small, as they are building blocks to success.
Create a specific plan for improvement (e.g. tutoring, a study group, or workshops on the subject area).

Wellness

Winthrop University provides multiple on-campus resources to guide you on your quest to wellness.

Struggling with a minor illness? Health Services provides acute and routine care for most enrolled students. View exceptions and cost.
Having trouble adjusting to academics or living away from home? Counseling services can provide mental health services virtually in an individual or group setting to help you find ways to cope. Check out Counseling Services for available services and restrictions.
If you are a survivor of sexual assault, domestic and/or dating violence, stalking, discrimination based on bias, or another crime, the Student Advocacy and Trauma Support offers advocacy and counseling services.

Health Promotion can provide educational and preventive information on numerous health and wellness-related topics, such as nutrition, exercise, sexual health, drug abuse, and eating disorders.
Reduce stress and improve your physical health by walking around Winthrop Lake, playing some basketball, or working out in the West Center. For a comprehensive list of activities and services, visit the Recreational Services website.

Off Campus Resource:

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

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WU Classrooms and Labs

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OA Student Handbook

New Semester Student Checklist

Tutoring