How To Study Effectively??

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  Dream big.

•  Grab a paper and pen. Jot down all your goals: short-term and long-term. What you want to achieve this year or want you want to do in your life. Remember: Dream big - really big. Stick it up on the wall or on your cork board, in your workplace. That way, when you feel discouraged,your goals will motivate you to achieve them.
  
  

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Advice for the new college student

Hats off to you graduates! We’ve finally done it. While some of us are moving on to graduate school, a new job or an exciting adventure, we all have thoughts about what we wish we had known as a college student.
That’s not to say I regret any of my decisions as a college student — college was one of the best experiences of my life. However, over the past few weeks, I have been thinking about advice to give my now sophomore sister who attends the same university that I just left. While she is a much better student than me and probably knows all of this, they are still good tips to keep in mind.
While I realize that every student is different in how they approach their education, here are five final things that this graduate thinks may help you.

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6 ways you can spend less time studying and still get better grades

I’ve been studying really hard this semester, but my grades don’t reflect my hard work. What am I doing wrong?

Many people believe if you spend enough time studying, you’ll get good grades. Not true.
Time spent studying and getting good grades are not always as closely correlated as you might think.

1. Study a little bit every day.
It’s better to study a small amount every day than to study a huge amount the day before the exam. The brain actually needs time to process the material, so if you review your class notes 20 minutes a day for the week prior to the exam (7 days x 20 min/day = 140 minutes of study time), you’ll retain more information than if you study three hours the night before the exam (180 minutes).
That’s an example of a 40-minute savings on study time to produce better results in just one class.
2. Know which assignments carrying the most weight and work on those first.
Not all assignments are created equal. Knowing which ones are most important will help you prioritize your time.
If it’s not clearly outlined in a class syllabus, ask your professor how she determines your class grade and make smart choices based on this information.
In every class you usually have multiple assignments. A five-point project does not merit the same amount of time spent as a 50-point project, but if you’re not careful with your time, the five-point project ends up chewing up more time than it’s worth.
Be strategic and thoughtful about how you spend your time. Do the important projects first. Don’t get lulled into feeling productive when you’ve spent two hours on the five-point project if you have not spent two hours on the 50-point project first.





 It’s easy to spend a lot of time studying without producing good grades if you’re spending your time on the wrong things.
Be very mindful of how you spend your study time. Study each day, and be disciplined about focusing your time on the most important assignments as determined by how the assignment impacts your final grade.
The skills you learn in regard to prioritization and time management will help you be more successful in college and as well as your career. Learn them now, and you’ll thank yourself for years to come.

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3. Put in the time.
I recommend 10-12 hours per test as a starting point. Yes, I just wrote that.
If you earn too high a grade, cut back an hour or two for each test in a class until you settle out at the right amount of studying to achieve a low “A” grade. Remember, you’re in class for only 16 hours per week. In high school, you put in 40. You have hours you can commit.
If you want to land a great job out of college, there’s no better first step than committing the time to get a strong GPA.
4. Find a great study spot.
Where you study matters — a lot. Get out of the dorm. Get out of the student union. I generally don’t even like most floors of the main campus library. There’s just too much activity in those spots.
Find a quiet, out-of-the-way location where you can get focused. Almost any distraction will be more exciting to you than early European history or macro accounting (depending on your interests), so minimize the number of distractions you’ll experience.
5. Turn off your social media (and music).
There have been actual studies done showing that attempting to study while Tweeting, Facebooking and/or texting will diminish your results. Shocking, right?
My suggestion is to study for 50 minutes and then take a 10 minute study break and tweet until your heart is content. Then turn all of your media off again and go for another 50 minutes. Yes, I know it’s painful, but how badly do you want that A?
6. Learn the notes first.
Professors lecture on what they think it most important. They test to determine if you’ve grasped the most important material in the class.
As such, they will most likely test primarily from the lecture notes. Don’t follow this advice out the window. Buy the book. Read the book, and study it.
Just don’t focus on it at the expense of the notes (and shift your focus away from it after the first exam if you determine your professor is focused on the notes in his or her exams).

Achieving the grades you want is all about putting in the right quality and quantity of study time.
Increase your commitment (if you aren’t putting in 10+ hours per test in study time) and improve your technique and results will follow

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6 bold statements that can damage your relationship with your professor

I’m sorry for your loss, but this is very inconvenient for me.”
In 14 years as communication faculty and a writer on student-professor dynamics, I thought I heard it all. Then a family member unexpectedly died. Attending the funeral required a class reschedule. My crisis became my student’s logistical annoyance.
In “Six things you should say to your professor”, I suggested ways for students to improve everyday comments that profs find frustrating (“Did I miss anything important?”).
In the past year, I’ve heard students say some bold things that can damage a working relationship. Here are six examples:
1. If your professor makes a change due to unexpected circumstances
Don’t say: “This is very inconvenient for me.”
Do say: “I’m sure this was a difficult decision. Thanks for making it work out.” Or if you disagree, say, “Is there another option? I’m concerned about ________.”
Here’s why: Issues ranging from personal emergency to pace of student learning could change your prof’s well-intended plan. Your schedule likely says “tentative” for that reason. The switch should never negatively impact you. Worried that it will? Open the conversation with care. Your prof probably struggled to retool, too.
2. If you are working while in school
Don’t say: “I’m full-time at my job and have been very busy.”
Do say: “I started my assignment early because my schedule is tight. Could you make sure I’m on the right track?”
Here’s why: Your prof may empathize, but cannot give you leniency because of work. Classes must rank, so schedule your assignment deadlines early. You’ll feel less stressed and likely get more help by eliminating the excuse.

3. If your professor suggests a different direction for your idea
Don’t say: “It’s not worth it to me. I’ll just do something else.”
Do say: “I appreciate the feedback. I see how this approach makes my original idea stronger.” Or “Let me give you some background on why I thought this would work. Is there any way I can move ahead?”
Here’s why: Your prof’s early critique stands to make your final product (and grade!) better. In the workplace, fresh ideas are applauded … and often altered. Will you abandon ship if you can’t get your way? Take a step back, take a breath, and take another look. Accepting feedback with grace is an art and skill, one that definitely should be honed in college.
4. If your professor gives you constructive criticism
Don’t say: “I think you have me confused with another student.”
Do say: “Thank you for pointing out areas where I can improve. Can you clarify what you mean by ___________? I want to make sure I understand what you’re looking for.”
Here’s why: Unless your prof’s comments are clearly about someone else’s work, she knows exactly who you are. And guess what? She cares and wants you to do better. Try not to take the feedback personally, but do follow up if you are confused.
5. If your prof recommends that you drop the class
Don’t say: “I’m on scholarship, so I won’t leave.”
Do say: “Can you explain why you are making this recommendation?” Or, “Is there anything you can suggest so this outcome doesn’t happen again?” (Note: Only ask if you really don’t know. Otherwise, thank your prof for looking out for you!).
Here’s why: Many profs only suggest withdrawal if the situation is unrecoverable. We know the ramifications academically, financially, and emotionally. However, if a student’s situation is truly terminal, refusal to leave won’t move us to rescue.
6. If you are confused
Don’t say: “I wasn’t planning on doing that assignment.”
Do say (as soon as possible!): “I am having trouble with ____________ (be specific!). Can you point me in the right direction?”
Here’s why: Aside from the funeral comment, this one surprises (and saddens!) me the most. Too many students skip an assignment, rather than ask for help. Any points are better than a zero. Your prof can’t help you if you don’t speak up. Get on track and at least complete the work.
While my examples are real, I believe the students did not realize how their words came across.
If you are frustrated or confused, plan your next words with your end goal in mind. Boldness and rudeness could actually escalate your problem, rather than solve it.
Appropriate and respectful communication will get your needs met way faster … and you’ll preserve an important relationship.

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6 things you should say to your professor

You’re in a bind or you’re totally confused. What should you say to your professor?
Everything you read about speaking to professors warns that you shouldn’t tick them off, ruin their impression of you or say something to sink you further.
But should you keep your mouth shut? No!
I’ve witnessed 14-plus years of student interactions and I teach interpersonal communication. Not talking to your instructors isn’t the answer and texting is out of the question. The right words give you a shot at solving your problem and possibly getting better grades.

I’ve got two pocket themes you can use with your professor that work for many class-related situations: “Here is what I’ve done…” and “Here is what I propose…” A little background behind my recommendations:
When students have issues — late work, absences, needing help — they often come across as, “Solve it for me. Now!” Professors’ reactions? Mildly irritated to snarky to downright grizzly. Would you throw your lateness, your missed work or your confusion in your boss’ lap and say, “Fix it!”? That could cost you a job, right? You want to appear ultra-professional with your professor, even if you’ve blown something up. So use these phrases to sound proactive, rather than reactive.
• Instead of saying, “I’m so lost!” say, “I am confused about our upcoming paper. Here is what I’ve done: I read over the assignment sheet. I reviewed your examples. I am stuck on the transitions and two of my sources. Can you help with that?”
Here’s why: Instead of conveying blanket lost-ness, be specific. Don’t make your professor tease out where you’re stuck, which wastes time. Show that you’ve attempted to help yourself and you’ll get more focused assistance.
• Instead of saying, “I really needed a 4.0 in this class!” say, “I am striving for a 4.0 and I’m prepared to work for it. I’ve reviewed the syllabus. I would like to make an appointment so I can ask questions and discuss my plan for achieving my goal.”
Here’s why: Professors learn about desperately needed grades at the end of a term. Too late! All grade goals require a collaborative conversation initiated by you on day one or week one.
• Instead of saying, “I worked so hard! I deserved an A!” say, “I am working toward an A on our assignment, so I finished my project early. Would you be willing to take a look and give me some feedback?”
Here’s why: Your professors grade on tangible work that meets set standards. Work early and some professors may offer feedback ahead of the due date. Some may not, but try saying this: “I have two very specific questions.” They’ll likely answer.
• Instead of saying, “Will this be on the test?” say, “I used my notes and textbook and downloaded your lectures and PowerPoints to create a study guide for our upcoming exam. Would you look and see if I’ve missed any major areas?”
Here’s why: No need to mine for test gold and lose credibility. Show your professor you think all content is worthwhile. You won’t have questions handed to you, but you may get an assist if you’ve skipped a critical study area.
• Instead of saying, “I’ve missed four classes, but can I still pass?” say, “I missed the last four classes, which was unavoidable. I do not plan to be absent again. I’ve reviewed the attendance and late-work policy on the syllabus. I calculated my lost points. Here is what I propose to catch myself up (submit your proposal), based on your policies. Have I missed anything in my calculations? I believe I can still pass if we agree on the dates I will submit this work, according to your policy and penalties.”
Here’s why: Your professor may have zero tolerance for absences. Still, a well-thought-out proposal has a chance. Asking your professor to save you likely doesn’t.
• Instead of saying, “Can I leave early? Will we be doing anything important?” say, “I need to leave class early today. I noticed on the schedule that you are going over chapter six. I read chapter six and started on the assignment. I will have it done on time and do not need to leave early again.”
Here’s why: First, don’t ask for exit permission — your professor can’t fairly give it. Just go, be responsible for the consequences and don’t make early departure a habit. Second, your professor has a plan for class days, regardless how the schedule appears. You may be going over a test, building community through class discussion or having an unexpected guest speaker. Every class day is a day committed by you and your professor, and is important to your professor. It should be important to you, as well. Conveying otherwise? Not professional.
You deserve to know the correct way to communicate with your professors. Too often, students sound clueless and don’t realize it. Trying these phrases may feel a little weird at first, but believe me, even if you fumble, you’ll sound more like the professional you’re trying to become than students who use the alternatives. And if your professor remains snarky or grizzly, don’t be thrown. You’ll know that you handled yourself properly.
Armed with correct communication, you’ll have an incredible opportunity in college to not only improve your classwork, but also build a relationship with someone who could become a long-lasting mentor. As a bonus, you’ll practice one of the top employability skills with someone who is as close to a boss as you can get. Again, you deserve to have the right words for that.
Use them.

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10 Questions You Shouldn’t Ask Your Professor before the Final

They say that dead men tell no tales. But dying men ask a lot of desperate questions. If you’re just now confronting the reality of final exams, there’s no quick fix advice to ensure a passing grade. The best you can do is study hard, sleep regularly, lay off the Four Loko, and avoid any of the following last minute inquiries:

1. “Complete sentences”? What for?

2. Instead of taking a test, can I summarize this class in a tweet?

3. Do you stamp your Blue Books, to prevent the possibility of pre-composed essays being smuggled into the test? Is it like a run-of-the-mill, A.C. Moore stamp, or something that you special order?

4. Are we doing teacher evaluations before or after this final?

5. May I be excused if there’s a natural disaster or a major political coup on the day of the test? What about globally?

6. Man, that is some beard — when did you start growing that thing!?

7. Why are finals always designed to measure how many random facts we can memorize? Don’t you care about our personal growth?

8. Ok, so ballpark figure… What would be the average of my current grade and zero?

9. Do you realize that my parents pay your salary?

10. Is this textbook still available at the bookstore?

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5 questions that will take the fear out of talking to your professor

To some students, entering a professor’s office means contracting a life-threatening virus.
To others, it feels like home.
The professor-to-student relationship usually — and unfortunately — lies at one of these two polar extremes. It’s not like colleges provide Professor Relationship 101, either.
Think of the next five hypothetical questions asked by students as a crash course. Hopefully it will debunk myths and stigmas around professors and how they interact with students.
1. “What do I call them? A professor? A doctor? Mister or missus?”
Since kindergarten, students called teachers mister or missus so-and-so. Most students probably didn’t even know a teacher’s first name until college. This can be overwhelming. A legitimate fear for some definitely exists regarding what to call professors. But students just need to trust their instincts.
If a professor said, “… But you can call me by my first name,” then it’s not unprofessional. But if you’re talking to the school president about a professor, you may want to mention him as Professor Smith rather than Joe.
The same goes for emails, interview requests, office-hour signups … and professor, doctor, mister, missus. Use common sense — but don’t believe he or she would never talk to you again if you choose the wrong title.
2. “I don’t want to seem dumb going to a professor’s office. What do I do?”
Some students believe that asking a professor a question — let alone visiting his or her office — means that they will be marked as “the dumb one.”
But the truth is professors would much rather deal with questions before (for example, a midterm) rather being asked afterward, “I bombed this test, can you please raise my grade?”
Professors want to educate students.
Even if you had a dumb question, they’ll respect you for having the guts to ask it. If going to the office still intimidates you, then send an email. A professor or a teaching assistant will either answer the question or set up a meeting at his or her office to discuss it.
3. “But what do I even talk about? Just academics? I’m sure they don’t care about my life.”
Most professors understand the academic and social pressures of being a student. After all, they went through that themselves and have seen all variations of it teaching at your college.
The myth that professors somehow don’t have the pulse of younger students is false. To some degree, they may know more about students than anyone.
For example, it’s often harder to talk to parents or friends about school troubles. But professors can be neutral about it and even share a story or two about a student who went through the same thing.
Not all professors will welcome non-academic talks, but some will. Either way, it doesn’t hurt to ask by saying something like, “I’ve been struggling with (something). Do you have any suggestions?”
4. “I still don’t see a benefit to talk to a professor.”
Just like college admission essays, a great letter of recommendation will stand out. And for someone to write an inspired and truthful recommendation, he or she would need to get to know you.
But don’t think of a professor as a vessel that writes a fancy document. Professors have priceless connections and advice, too.
For example, a professor may know someone looking for a roommate or a job opening with other alumni. Most assume professors only know old alumni. Like the Class of ’45 alumni. But professors still communicate with students who just graduated.
However, do not just send an email asking for a recommendation letter or job offer. You wouldn’t ask a girl to prom on Facebook Chat, right? Do it in person and thank them for their time.
5. “So what you’re saying is that there’s no reason why you shouldn’t talk to a professor?”
Truthfully? Yes.
It is the professor’s job to be available for questions regarding his or her courses. Every professor is different, but most can — and willingly — double as a counselor, friend or mentor.
However, be mindful that professors have lives outside of school, too. (I know, shocking.) Plus, they have to be there for other students as well. Like you would treat your parents or friends, be respectful of their time. Thank them when applicable, and don’t be frustrated if they don’t get back to you immediately.
But most importantly, understand most professors want to help — academically, personally and intellectually.
Who knows? You may even make a lifelong friend out of it.

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5 things you should never say to your professor

From a professor’s point of view, I want to tell students that effective professors care about their classes, put a lot of time into grading and lesson planning and genuinely want students to take away some knowledge from the course. Being a professor with the technology accessible to students today also means that we are expected to answer emails immediately.

Believe it or not, professors also want to see their students do well in their courses. However, we do form impressions about students and it’s undeniable that we consider assignment extensions based on a student’s attitude and effort. Therefore, in order to build a relationship with your professor, whether it be to earn a good grade for the semester or to secure a letter of recommendation in the future, here are some things to avoid saying at all costs. Seriously.
1. “Did I miss anything important/Did we do anything important in class?”
Let me answer this one for you in one word: Yes. The answer will always be “yes.” The reason is because professors never stand up in front of a room or create an activity that they consider useless. Professors value their course and think the content is important every day. I will also add a bonus pointer here that it should be the student’s responsibility to find out what was missed in class.
2. “I just took your class for an easy A.”
Professors translate this statement as the student didn’t care about the course material or want to put any effort into doing the work. Professors care about their course curriculum and they hope that it will be respected and taken seriously. When professors grade, quality counts, and taking quizzes, writing papers and completing group presentations are all part of earning a passing grade.
3. “I didn’t know we had anything due in this course.”
Saying this to a professor is equivalent to asking, “What days does this class meet?” and, “Do we have a book in this course?” At the college level, students have assignments due in every class, every semester. It is a student’s responsibility to look at the course syllabus. At the collegiate level, a student should not be relying on class announcements or personalized emails to be alerted to upcoming due dates either.
4. “I was busy studying for my other classes so I didn’t do my work for this class.”
Unfortunately, that is not an excuse. Students need to learn time-management skills and effective study habits. It is an insult for a professor to hear that their class wasn’t as important as another one.
5. “Did you answer my email yet?”
There are two reasons why students should never say this to their professors. First, if you expected that the professor should reply to your email, you should spend time checking your inbox for the response before asking. It’s extremely frustrating if a lot of time was put into an email response and the student doesn’t even read the reply. Second, it gives off the impression that you believe the professor’s life revolves around your email. Professors attend meetings, have research demands, serve on committees and sleep at night. Please allow your professor a normal response time, especially if the email was sent at 1 a.m.
Note: The more polite way to handle the situation would be to follow up with a second email if the professor does not answer the first one within a week.

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Why you should put your phone down and experience life

Last Saturday, I spent five hours standing in line in excited anticipation to see one of my favorite artists, Demi Lovato.
After what seemed like days of waiting in a sardine-like pack with aggressive, die-hard fans, I finally saw Lovato come onstage. At that moment, the other audience members simultaneously lifted their iPhones over my 5’1″ height, creating a wall of Apple products blocking my vision that stayed in the air for the majority of the performance.
At some points of the show, I only knew Lovato was onstage because I could see her dancing in the iPhone screen in front of me. That phone’s owner would later unapologetically knock my head back with an elbow to the chin to get a better shot.
We’ve become so obsessed with recording our lives — to relive it later and receive “likes” and “followers” — that we’re not really living in the present anymore.
Dinner dates now call for Instagramming meals. Award show viewing parties are live-tweeted. We’re so involved in this race to technologically capture everything that’s going on around us and comment on it that we’re missing the essence of our experiences.
While I absolutely admit to partaking in this kind of tech-obsessed madness, I’ve recently forced myself to step back and ask: What ever happened to being in the moment?
Based on the buzz received by a recent video, viewed over 24 million times on Youtube, I’m not alone in questioning our actions.
In a set of scenarios I definitely relate to, a young woman observes as the people around her neglect special moments: a beautiful sunrise, a conversation over lunch, a friendly bowling outing. In one scene, a birthday boy is too busy taking selfies to notice the glowing cake being presented to him.
What do we really gain from this behavior?
Those girls who waited just as long as I did in line now have a low-quality performance video of songs that Lovato has sung countless times on national television — performances that were professionally recorded and are available for free online.
But what they missed in their efforts to record their own video is the look of admiration her backup singers gave her when she talked about overcoming addiction and the way her high notes made my heart soar when she nailed a cover of Rihanna’s “Stay.” The fans struggling to steady their cameras didn’t get the whole experience.
Our phone obsession isn’t limited to big events; it fills every second of every day.
Scrolling through the Humans of New York blog on your smartphone while walking down the street, you can hear the stories of the inspiring people among us. But as you’re sharing a photo and posting your thoughts about some interesting character the blog’s author found in Times Square, you’re ignoring the people around you who have their own unique stories to tell.
Observe your surroundings. Make eye contact. Become a citizen of your neighborhood. You might learn something.
This problem can even be toxic for our personal and romantic relationships.
I admit I have been guilty of thoughtlessly blogging while in the company of a boyfriend. Understandably, this makes the person feel less important than the glowing piece of metal in your hand. Looking back on a relationship that ultimately ended, I strongly recall his discomfort in moments when I tried to photograph us or record him playing guitar. I didn’t understand it at the time, but I was negatively impacting the current experience by trying to document it forever.
When you’re 100 years old and looking back at your life, you’re not going to reminisce by scrolling through every 140-character message you ever tweeted or by rewatching your most-liked Vine videos. You’ll probably sit and reflect on your fondest memories. But if your memories are only of events that happened in your peripheral vision, you’ll wish you had put your phone down and experienced moments while you had them.

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