College Skills 101
Since I am doing a late start university drop off, I dug into the archive of my college readiness articles…
Several years ago, I created a program for HS students on productivity and time management to prepare them for college and beyond. College is likely the first time a teenager really must manage him/herself and his/her time. So, for this college readiness article, I have used my Ready, Set, Study handout.
Study Skill
SPQ3R
Survey
Quickly skim the assignment
Read headings, captions, etc.
Question
Ask what you want to learn.
Ask questions teachers might ask.
Read
Stay busy. Take notes
Look up words you don’t know
Recite
Answer the question you asked.
Say the answers out loud.
Review
Look over what you’ve read
Relate class notes to your reading
I learned it as SPQRR (survey, preview, question, read, review). No matter what you call it the premise is the same…
1. Look at what you are going to be reading to get an idea of the subject matter and number of pages, so you can estimate how long it will take to read.
2. Create questions that you think the text will answer.
3. Read the material
4. Now review the material by trying to answer the questions you wrote down before you started reading
Reference: SQ3R Details
Video Reference: Intro to SQ3R
Notes Management
Cornell System
Mark a column on a lined sheet of paper 2.5 inches from the outer edge (about 1/3 the page across). Use the other column to record your notes. At the end of the class or later that day, use the blank column to write in “subject headings” for the notes. This column is referred to as the recall column because you can use the headings to find info/facts and by covering the notes column test your knowledge. The image below gives you a visual view of what the Cornell Note-Taking System looks like.
Reference: How to Study in College by Walter Pauk
Video Reference: Intro to the Cornell Method
Schedule
A weekly schedule shows you where your time is blocked and where you have free time. It is a useful tool in planning how you do homework, long-term assignments, and spend time with friends and family.
Time Diary
What is it?
Just what it sounds like….a diary of your time by the hour or half hour. Please keep for a minimum of three consecutive days including a weekend day.
Sample 1
7 AM
Wake up and get dressed
7:30 AM
Have breakfast
8 AM
Go to school
8:30 AM
Arrive at school, for 1st period
9:10 AM
1st-period ends, go to 2nd period
Sample 2
7 AM
Wake up, shower, get dressed, and have breakfast
8 AM
Go to school and start 1st Period
9 AM
1st Period is almost over, head to 2nd period
10 AM
End 2nd period and head to 3rd period
11 AM
Finish 3rd period and head to 4th period
Be sure to write down everything from the time you wake up to the time your head hits the pillow. When you are finished look at the diary to see where you waste time, have pockets of unused time, and ineffective time planning.
“Already there’s a chorus of ‘I don’t have time to keep a diary.’ But, in reality, you have plenty of time – it only takes a moment to note down when you start and end an activity and you’ll only be doing it for seven days. Think of it this way – a little effort now can give you huge rewards in the future.” — Business Training, “What is a Time Diary?”
Reference: Details on what is a Time Diary
Schedule, part 2
Definition: a plan for carrying out a process or procedure, giving lists of intended events and times.
Sample:
Time
Monday
7 AM
Wake-up
8 AM
Head to school
8:30 AM-3:00 PM
School
4 PM
FT
5 PM
Piano Lesson
6 PM
HW
7 PM
Dinner
8-10 PM
HW
10 PM
Get ready for bed
10:30 PM
Go to bed
Tuesday
7 AM
Wake-up
8 AM
Head to school
8:30 AM-3:00 PM
School
4 PM
Soccer Practice
5 PM
Soccer
6 PM
HW
7 PM
Dinner
8-10 PM
HW
10 PM
Get ready for bed
10:30 PM
Go to bed
FT= Free Time HW=Homework
Calendar
What should be on your calendar?
1. Appointments
2. Test dates and paper due dates
3. Time with friends
4. Reserved time for long-term assignments (known as “time blocking” in a minimum of 1 hr. increments
5. After school, weekend activities, and school functions
6. Time to run errands
7. Job hours, if you have one
What shouldn’t be on your calendar?
1. Tasks from your to-do list
2. Emails to send and phone calls to make
3. Errand lists
To-Do Lists
What is this?
A list of everything you need to do on a daily or weekly basis.
There are several types of to-do lists. It is best to pick the one that best suits your lifestyle. My husband does a daily one and I do a weekly one. They each work well and suit our individual personalities.
List Types:
1. Daily checklist—list all the items you have to do that day in a format where prioritize them as needed. Each night you copy the unchecked items for the next day
2. Weekly list— divide a piece of paper into seven columns and write the days of the week at the top. Under each day write what has to get done. I fold a letter sheet in 4 and label one quarter with the day of the week and the last quarter is for calls I need to make or web work to be done (I use both sides of the paper)
3. Quadrant list— Divide a piece of paper in four and label each quadrant with a major area of your life—school, and homework, family, extracurriculars (sports, clubs, etc.), etc. Under each one write what has to get done. You can use this daily or for a few days.
It is important with any to-do list to check off what you have accomplished and to prioritize tasks. Seeing all you have accomplished in a day boosts your mood. There are several online tools or apps that can help you.
Video Reference: Intro on How to Write an Effective To-do List
Prioritizing Methods
It is important that you know which assignment/task to do first, second, third, etc. on your to-do list. This is - where prioritizing comes in…
First Method: ABCs
A=absolutely done today
B=but can be done tomorrow
C=see you on a rainy day
D=delegate the work to another
E= eliminate, meaning get rid of altogether
Second Method
Reference: Details of Prioritizing Methods
Video References: Intro to ABCDE Method
Additional Skills
1. Device Management/Digital Detox
“Distractions are inevitable. You can schedule and plan every second of your day if you wish, but life will surprise you and unexpected events will get in the way. Small distractions will try to steer you off course as well.
Create a plan to help you manage these distractions. Make a set of rules, such as turning off your mobile [device] or asking friends to give you some time alone. Avoid taking on too many things – it’s perfectly fine to say “no” sometimes.
Also, make sure that you set realistic goals for your study time to minimize distractions. It’s difficult to commit to studying for two or three hours at a time – distractions are sure to get in the way – but it’s not impractical to study for 40 minutes at a time before moving onto a new task.” —Eurospace.org
2. Project management for long-term assignments
· Review assignment
· Choose a topic and explore if it meets the assignment criteria
· Research your topic
· Begin writing
· Edit your draft
· Proofread your draft
· Print out two copies of the final draft (one for the teacher and one for you)
Reference: 8 Ways to help your teen screen detox
Intro to How to Write a Term Paper