Learning Commons:Content/Learning Challenges/Keeping Up

From UBC Wiki

The Problem

Keeping up with all of the work expected of you at university can be challenging. Between classes and readings and assignments sometimes it feels like there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done. You are not alone in this feeling. The workload increases dramatically from high school to university, and you no longer have your parents keeping on top of you to get things done. This means that it is important to plan well and to use your time effectively by avoiding procrastination as much as possible. But it’s also important to stay healthy and to leave time for having fun as well as studying. Some issues that might be impacting your feeling of being overwhelmed are:

Reading everything

Generally a syllabus is divided into required readings and recommended readings. It is next to impossible to read every single article or book mentioned by your professor, and trying to will lead to feelings of burnout and falling behind. You will need to find ways to deal with reading overload by determining which articles and texts are the most deserving of your attention.

Not going to class

Every student makes decisions about whether or not to go to class, after all most profs don't take attendance like teachers did in high school. But remember that missing too many classes can be de-motivating, especially if you are missing important lectures or learning activities that help you make sense of the course content. While classes generally are a big time commitment, not going will likely cause you to fall more behind and actually increase your stress. Just copying a friends notes won't truly help you engage with the content and classes are also an excellent time to ask questions if something is confusing.

Not writing things down

While you may have been able to get through high school without taking notes, most profs don't provide handouts that outline the important points of a given lecture. This means that you need to determine for yourself what information is important and write it down. This is especially true when details are given in class about assignments and tests, as many teachers will not continually remind you that an upcoming assignment is due. Staying organized is key to success in university!

Waiting too long to seek help

This is a common mistake for first year students who are often nervous about meeting with their profs outside of class. You may feel like you will be judged or that your questions are stupid. It may be helpful to know that your questions will likely not be new to your professors - they've probably heard it before from previous students and can therefore offer some immediate and specific advice to help you. Remember that your professors and TAs are there to help you learn and they want to see you succeed.

The Myths

The following myths about learning are relevant to the challenge of keeping up with your work.

Myth 2: I only need one good method for studying.

Sometimes, study methods that worked in high school - just don't serve you well in university. If your tried and true study strategies aren't working, use a different approach. Monitor your learning, by measuring your knowledge against what you expect. Before you start studying, guess how it'll go. Predict your homework and test results, and see if you're accurate or not. Notice when your expectations fall short of (or overshoot) reality, and adjust your approach accordingly. This is called metacognition, and it's an important part of effective learning.

There's also some evidence to suggest that mixing it up (in terms of where, when and how we study and learn) promotes recall (Carey, 2015)

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Bust the Myth

  • Reflect on your studying by asking yourself these three questions: what did you do? Was it effective? What can you change?
  • Test your perceptions. After an exam, make a prediction of how many questions/problems you answered correctly. When you get the test back, see how your score matched with your prediction. If you were way off, consider changing your study strategy to incorporate more self-testing, spaced study sessions and varied approaches to practice.
  • Use strategies like generating your own questions and creating concept maps. Need some guidance? Take a look at this video by Dr. Stephen Chew, on How to Get the Most Out of Studying: Putting Principles for Learning into Practice.

Myth 5: Planning is a waste of time.

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Being a self-directed learner requires planning.

Answering the 5 questions from the graphic above can help to build a disciplined approach which will help you tackle your academic work.

Planning can also help you develop a workable schedule for studying. "Research shows spacing study episodes out with breaks in between study sessions or repetitions of the same material is more effective than massing such study episodes. Massing practice is akin to cramming all night before the test." (Clark and Bjork, 2014).

Planning reduces stress, helps you avoid cramming, and builds skills in metacognition. Planning is an important part of any career or occupation, so learning to plan well contributes to your overall competency. Even learning to plan takes practice, so start early!





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Bust the Myth

  • Target your studying: try to study key themes, and take what you know about the exam structure into account when you're planning. If you know you'll have an essay, write outlines! If you have to solve problems, go over homework or make up your own.
  • Review or practice throughout the term. Without regular review, you may have to re-learn a large portion of the course right before the final.

Reference:

  • Clark, C.M., Bjork, R.A. (2014) When and Why Introducing Difficulties and Errors Can Enhance Instruction, in Benassi, V. A., Overson, C. E., & Hakala, C. M. (Editors). (2014). Applying science of learning in education: Infusing psychological science into the curriculum. Available at the Teaching of Psychology website: http://teachpsych.org/ebooks/asle2014/index.php.

The Strategies

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Strategies that work!

  • Don't bite off more than you can chew
  • Ensure that your course load aligns with the amount of time you have. While it is good to feel challenged, you don't want to go beyond your personal capabilities. This is especially true if you are working and going to school at the same time. There is no shame in taking classes in the summer, or taking an extra year or semester to complete your degree if necessary.
  • While socializing is a major part of going to university, be realistic about how much you can do in a given week. Joining clubs, playing sports, or going out for dinner with friends are great ways to blow off steam, but let these things augment your life, rather than ausing them to avoid school work.
  • Get Organized and use your time effectively
  • Write major due dates on a calendar so that you can visualize when you will be the busiest and plan accordingly.
  • Focus on building a daily plan with a clear list of realistic to-dos and short focused chunks of studying or working on assignments.
  • Prioritize readings and assignments based on their due date and level of importance.
  • Use our Assignment Calculator to help plan those big research papers and projects.
  • See the Links section for resources on fighting procrastination and alleviating burnout.
  • Take steps to build effective study strategies.
  • Space study sessions: to avoid mental exhaustion and feeling like you have to cram before exams. Use your time-management skills and tools. Recall improves when studying is spread out over time.
  • Take study breaks to let yourself to relax, mentally and physically. Poor nutrition and lack of sleep and exercise are directly related to your mental wellness and are integral to feeling ready to take on the stresses of university life.
  • Ask for help if you are feeling overwhelmed
  • Seek help early in the semester during your profs office hours or from your TA if you are feeling overwhelemed. You can also just visit them to say hello so that they know who you are in case you need to ask for an extension on an assignment in the future.
  • If things feel totally unmanageable, check out the services available to students through the Wellness Centre especially the information on stress and anxiety management. You are not alone and there are many people and services on campus that can help you.

The Toolkits

Check out some of our student toolkits to support your learning:

The Links

Videos

Health and Wellness at UBC:

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