The first day of class was always a joyful thing for me. I usually hadn’t had an assignment required of me prior to the class, so I could walk in eagerly expecting a rundown of the semester and plan to leave with a copy of the professor’s syllabus for the semester or at least where to find it electronically.
Now, I know it has been awhile since you walked into class that first day, but one of the things that I think can help the most regarding your newly acquired syllabi is to take some time to write down all of your assignments in a planner for each day. These notations can include daily reading assignments, quizzes, exams, papers, projects, midterms, and finals. I’ve always found combining your class assignments to be a very strategic move that will enable you to prep holistically for the semester. If you plan ahead now, you might note that at the end of February you have three exams and a paper due over two days. Knowing that now can help keep you from any surprises like flipping to that week in your calendar or on your smartphone and seeing it then. The more you can plan ahead now will hopefully reduce the stress you experience later. So take a minute, grab a cup of coffee, your stack of syllabi, and your calendar or electronic device, and spend some a little time inputting all of your assignments for the semester. If you are involved in other student organizations, you might want to take a look at that semester calendar and add those events and meetings as well. This way you will know ahead of time if that major Biology midterm happens to be the Monday after your Spring Formal, so you can plan ahead. If you need additional help with time management and study strategies, please contact Trish Baum in Academic Support Programs.
