Developing a Plan of Action
Stay calm. Panicking or beating yourself up over your current situation will accomplish little. Instead, focus on staying in control of your actions and mind. Repeat to yourself, “I can do this,” while taking a few deep breaths. Think about another time that you faced a difficult situation and beat it. If you find yourself dwelling on the negative possibilities, say aloud, “Focus on the present and future.”
Make a list of your assignments and their details. Gather all of your syllabi and assignment sheets. Then, get a piece of paper (or more, if needed) and draw a line down the middle. On the left side, place the dates of any exams and the due dates for all assignments. Try to merge all of this information into one list that goes chronologically from the near due dates to those further out. Post this list somewhere visible so that you can keep track of due dates and also mark off assignments as they are completed. If you are under a lot of stress, it may be helpful to create a general “to-do” list at the same time. Write down items such as doing the laundry or washing your car. This list will not take priority, but it can ease your mind to write down everything at once.
Prioritize your workload. Now that you've made an initial list, you'll need to decide how to tackle your workload in an organized way. Mark down the first item on your agenda as “1” and continue onward. You will want to take into account the due date, the difficulty level of the task, the grade's weight in your final average, and your individual confidence level in each area. To assess difficulty, you may want to look at your other scores for similar material. For example, if you received a 65 on the last quiz, you may need to spend some more time in that area. This may take priority over studying for a class where you are holding a consistent “A” average. Also, if you know that your notes are weaker in a certain class, you may want to move it up on your list as it may take more time to catch-up and make any note fixes. Be careful of listing all of one course's assignments together in the priority order as you may get burnt out just working on one subject over and over again. Instead, look for opportunities to integrate different projects into your list while still making progress.
Create a realistic study schedule. Move through your list in priority order and assess how long each task will take. For example, “I expect to spend 3 hours writing that paper.” Then, look at your calendar for each week and match up your free time with your list of items. Each free slot should have a corresponding item assigned to it. Try not to overschedule yourself. Make sure to keep your study sessions between 30 minutes to 2 hours long. Add in short breaks in between sessions. Keep the sessions shorter for more difficult material. Think about what you do during the day and look for ways to free up additional time. For example, if you normally go home in between classes, try staying on campus and going to the library instead. Realize that with your schedule in place you may have to say “no” to taking on additional responsibilities. Put your study needs first whenever possible.
Organize your binders and notes. Store your class materials in separate binders or folders. Some people prefer to use different colors for each class. Within the binders, place all of your materials in order by date and type. This will save you time when you need to find a guide sheet or study guide. It is also a good idea to keep all of your study materials in one place at your home. You don't want to waste time looking for a piece of paper when you could be working.
Contact your teacher or professor if necessary. If you are still feeling overwhelmed, there is nothing wrong with reaching out to your teacher. Stay after class or go to their office hours and tell them about your situation and what you are doing to fix it. Ask for their advice, but avoid requesting hand-outs, such as extensions, unless you absolutely have to. You might say, “To be honest, I was unprepared for the amount of work this class would require. But, I am willing to put the effort in to turn things around for me. I plan to work on these assignments first, what do you think?”
Maximizing Your Study Time
Gather any additional study materials in advance. If you've got a research project coming up, go ahead and hit the library to grab some initial books and articles. Or, you can always search via online databases. If a friend of yours has a set of class notes, ask them to make a copy for you and do the same for them. Be as prepared as you can for each study period. If possible, and if it is allowed, see if you can get a copy of the previous year's exams or maybe even a sample of a graded assignment from that particular professor. The more information that you have about the grading expectations, the better.
Find quiet study spaces. For each bit of free time, come up with a study spot in advance. You may head to a particular table in the library or perhaps a quiet coffee house nearby. Try to rotate your spots every few times or so, otherwise you may fall into a bored routine and slow down. Make sure that these are areas where you can study without encountering too many distractions. For example, if your friends hang out in the student center, it may be cozy, but not the best place to study.
Eliminate any distractions. When you sit down to study, turn off your phone and put it away. Resist the urge to browse the internet or hit any social media sites on your computer. Put your other “to-do” list out of your mind and concentrate on finishing up as much work as you can.
Figure out how you learn best. Give some thought as to your study practices and learning style. Are you a visual learner who needs notecards or diagrams? Do you take your best notes direct from the book? Or, do you do better after listening to your notes via an audio file? Find out what works best for you and stick to it.
Skim the readings. Don't get caught up in too many details. If you are under a time crunch, read the first and last sentences of every paragraph. Pay particular attention to the introductory and concluding sections of each chapter. Try not to re-read and instead focus on getting the larger topic and thesis in hand.
Know when to stop. It is very easy to let one difficult project or exam take over your entire study schedule. Assess your progress every few days and watch to see that you are crossing off items on your assignment list on a regular basis. If you get stuck, give yourself a final deadline to finish and stick to it. It is also important to recognize that you will never be perfectly prepared. Don't strive for perfection. Instead, just try to do the very best that you can at the moment.
Staying Motivated
Identify possible study partners. Talk to your classmates and try to arrange group study sessions. This will help to keep you accountable while also increasing the knowledge that you can draw upon. However, make sure to stay on-task during these sessions. Experiment with different study strategies as a group. For example, take turns teaching a subject to one another.
Get a tutor. Talk to an academic counselor at your school or your teacher to get a recommendation for a tutor in your particular subject. Start meeting with your tutor on a regular basis. During the first meeting, tell them that you are a bit behind and ask for their assistance in crafting a plan to catch up and do well.
Take scheduled breaks. No one can work all the time, at least not effectively. Make sure to give yourself adequate breaks in between study sessions. Try not to work more than 2 hours at a time. You might also choose at least one evening a week to take off and do something not school related. Aside from breaks, offer yourself some sort of reward for each study task that you complete. For example, if you finish a paper assignment, then enjoy a piece of chocolate or a brief shopping trip out.
Be realistic about your achievements. Even if you are an “A” student, if you fall behind you may need to lower your expectations and aim for a passing grade. Do the best you can, but realize that you are facing significant time constraints.
Exercise and eat healthy. Proper nutrition and physical activity can enhance your mood, give you more energy, and improve your focus. Schedule in a little time for exercise each day, even if it's just a 15-minute walk. Aim to eat lean protein, fruits, veggies, and complex carbohydrates each day to keep your mind and body strong as well.
Avoiding Future Backlogs
Maintain your study calendar. Try to avoid finding yourself in a similar situation in the future by maintaining your study calendar even after you've eliminated your backlog. Every week write down your new assignments and update your schedule as needed.
Adjust your schedule to reflect your pacing. If you've started to slow down while studying a certain area, or if you've sped up in another, make sure that your daily schedule reflects these alterations. Make sure to still give yourself plenty of time for breaks in between study sessions.
Recognize and avoid past reasons for falling behind. If there was a particular reason for your falling behind, such as a series of absences, recognize this and do everything you can to avoid ending up in a similar situation.
Create a support network. Tell your close friends and family that you are trying to improve your study accountability by keeping a calendar and schedule. Ask for them to regularly check-in with you regarding your progress. This will help keep you accountable too. And, it will give you a reason to brag if you are doing well.
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