Midterms season has arrived, which means the semester is coming to an end. During this time, many students struggle with prioritizing. They try to balance work, classes, studying, family and friends. Luckily, there are some easy ways to set up for success.
One place that can help with developing good study habits and offers a kind environment to get work done is the Center for Academic Support, which is located on the third floor of the College Complex.
“The CORE is a good place to study, it’s designed for exactly that,” said Sandra Mills, coordinator of the Center for Academic Support. It provides reading and writing consultations and peer tutors trained in study skills can also help you out.
“Many students wait until it’s too late to make an appointment,” Mills said.
She suggests students make an appointment with the center a week before had because “cramming doesn’t work.”
Athletics Counselor Michelle Mack suggests students should map everything they need to do, how to do it and when it needs to be done by. Add the deadlines to a timeline, factor in social obligations in a calendar and find something that relieves stress.
“Get involved with a club or activity,” Mack suggested to those looking for a stress-free environment on campus.
Students should consider some of the more tranquil places on campus. “We have a nice pond, just don’t get attacked by the ducks,” she joked.
When dealing with time management, most students struggle with the problem of procrastination.
“Give yourself time to procrastinate,” Mack said, because students who procrastinate will procrastinate anyway. Students should delegate some time to “slack off,” so when it is time to get to work they won’t feel as pressured.
No one knows the fight of time management better than students themselves. According to the Institution of Education Sciences, “The fall of 2014, some 21 million students are expected to attend American colleges and universities” which “constituted an increase of about 5.7 million since fall 2001.”
Also, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in October of 2013 that 43.4 percent of full-time students and 82.1 percent of part-time students worked and attended college.
Alena Deryabina, works part-time at In-n-Out and attends LMC part-time. She explained her schedule of school for four hours and work for the other five hours. Her time for completing assignments and studying can only be done in between classes and on the weekends, she said, but added she still needs to find time for herself and friends.
She utilizes all of her extra time to study and complete schoolwork by using, “a lot of flashcards and repetition” for maximum retention. But she advised from personal experience, “I can’t study everything in one night. Break your study time into different parts.” Like many students, Deryabina becomes overwhelmed with the amount of schoolwork.
Deryabina says, “It’s very stressful. It takes a lot out of anyone, me included. I wish education could be free, so I could dedicate more time to my studies and less time at work.”
For further information about the Center for Academic Support, call Mills at 473-7591 or call the center at 473-7590.