Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen! A new semester has just begun or is just around the corner. That paired with our New Year's resolutions, it is time to try and start the semester off right. This year has been crazy for me academically so I have picked up some handy dandy skills along the way to help me stay on top of things and still excel in all my classes.
1. Use a combined agenda.
Take all your syllabi and combine the homework from all your classes into one place. This way you can have all your assignments in one collected spot and can see the homework you have for the next day, and the week, so you can plan accordingly. I recommend a paper version, or electronic- - or both. I use both, as electronic can be updated and adjusted much easier than on paper, but having it on paper for you to scratch out is so much nicer in feeling and appearance in my opinion.
2. Utilize an electronic calendar.
I didn't start using my iPhone calendar until last semester and let me tell you, it has been my saving grace. I recommend you add in your classes into it, not just extracurricular activities or a job schedule. I also suggest you have major exams and project due dates entered. The main reason to do this is so you can see your time more honestly so you can better prepare your time with studying and Netflix.
3. Color coordinate.
Assign a color to each class. For example, I have French as green, and British Literature as orange. I apply this color to everything related to the class, from the electronic calendar to highlighting the homework, Post-It notes, and the like.
4. Touch base with professors.
Look over the syllabus, the grading scale, the text books. See if your professor is published or has a blog. Take the time to get to know the course and the professor. Then stay after class or catch them in the coffee shop and ask them a question -- a question that is detailed, obscure even perhaps. It shows you have taken an interest, and you have thought about the subject enough to come up with such a question or comment.
5. Get ahead while you still can.
Last semester I took 20 credit hours, but in homework I had nearly double that. The only thing that kept me on top of it is that I got ahead on my homework was over the weekends doing not just the homework for Monday, but for Tuesday as well -- sometimes even as far as Wednesday. Or, if there was a paper coming up, perhaps I would not start writing it, but work out the thesis and outline a week or more ahead of time so it would be ready for me to pick up when I turned my attention to it. But let me tell you, there is nothing better than getting out of class on a Monday and not having any homework due for the next couple days.
