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:

1. 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.
   
   
2. 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.
   
   
3. 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.
   
   
4. 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.
   
   
5. 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.
   
   
6. 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:

Time Management Tips for Busy College Students

How to Stop Procrastinating

Time Management Calculator

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.

1. 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.
   
   
2. 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. Click here for more information about active listening.
   
   
3. 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.
   
   
4. 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.
   
   
5. 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.
   
   
6. Teach 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.
   
   
7. 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

Nothing takes the place of studying, but even if you have studied, there are test taking strategies you can employ that will make you more successful.

1. If it isn't announced in class, talk with your professor to find out what types of questions (true/false, multiple choice, essay) will be used.

2. Utilize your resources! Use the Academic Success Center (ASC), tutoring or study groups.  Review any study guides, practice test questions in textbooks or other resources given from your instructor.

3. Anticipate questions that will be asked on the exam and plan answers to these questions. For ideas, look in PowerPoints, notes, study guides or textbook test banks.

4. Go into the exam as rested as possible. The brain is part of the body and if you are tired, so is your brain.

5. Keep track of the time. Begin by looking over the entire test to see how long it is and what type of questions are being asked. Then plan how long you can spend on each section or question. This will keep you from running out of time at the end.

6. Read all instructions carefully.

7. On multiple choice questions read the question being asked. Based on your preference, you can:

• Cover up all of the answer options and try to answer it without looking. This will help you not talk yourself into an incorrect answer.
• Read all of the questions first, eliminate the answers you know are incorrect and answer from the remaining options.

8. On true/false questions, make sure to read the entire question. The entire answer must be true for the correct answer to be "true".

9. On both multiple choice and true/false tests, answers containing absolutes such as "never", "always", "none", and "every" are usually incorrect.

10. Essay questions often have a high point value so read the question carefully, make a brief outline, and then answer the question including all of the information you can from the text and lecture.

11. If possible, check over your test before turning it in. Errors sometimes occur when you are in a hurry.

12. Finally, after taking the test think about your performance.

• Did you have more trouble with questions from the text or from the lectures?
• Did you miss questions because you hadn't studied enough or because you didn't understand the concepts presented?
• And most important, what can you do differently to prepare for the next test to improve your grade?

Source: Wichita State University Study Tips and Test Taking Techniques

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 the Counseling Services page for services and restrictions.
  
  
• TAO (Therapy Assistance Online) is an online self-help resource that will educate you about mental health and teach you tools to get and stay well. View the TAO Login information page.
  
  
• 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: 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.

Notetaking

Time & Distraction Management

Dictation/ Speech-to-Text

Study Skills

Reading and Literacy

Stress Management & Relaxation

Research

Mind Mapping and Brainstorming

Writing

Hearing

Vision

Built In Accessibility Features of Devices

Needs of Students and Assistive Technology

View WU classrooms and laboratories to explore class layouts, navigation, and inventories

The Job Accommodation Network (JAN) is the leading source of free, expert, and confidential guidance on workplace accommodations and disability employment issues.

The South Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Department (SCVRD) prepares and assists eligible South Carolinians with disabilities to achieve and maintain competitive employment. 

The South Carolina Commission for the Blind (SCCB) helps blind and visually impaired residents of our state gain independence and take advantage of opportunities for financial advancement.

The South Carolina Assistive Technology Program (SCATP) provides assistive technology resources and expertise to South Carolina residents with disabilities. Resources are also available to help family members, employers and support providers who help those with disabilities.

The OA Student Handbook (PDF-353K) was created to inform students with disabilities about support services and resources available on and off Winthrop’s campus. It outlines student’s rights and responsibilities related to disability accommodations.  This handbook is updated periodically in anticipation of the upcoming academic year.

Please review this handbook thoroughly. If any questions about student rights, student responsibilities, or OA procedures, please contact OA at 803/323-3290 or by email at accessibility@winthrop.edu.

The New Semester Student Checklist (PDF_45.8KB) is a tool for you to use throughout the academic year. If you need this document in a different format, please contact OA staff.