Hey Bloggers,

 Are you becoming overwhelmed from your school work yet? I know, for me, it's that time of the semester for my professors to pile lots of exams, projects, and term papers right into my lap. And it can be very stressful trying to figure out how I'm going to get it all done in a short period of time and still get the grades I want. So, here are a few things I like to do to keep my grades up and my stress levels down:

First thing is first--I organize all of my tasks. I grab my planner, a notepad, a post-it--whatever--so I can go through my syllabi and prioritize all of my work for each week. Next, I write down the dates of my exams, presentations, and group meetings; as well as the due dates for my term papers, projects, and any other homework I might have. This way, if I write everything down my mind is able to relax a little instead of struggling to remember when everything needs to be completed and it retains more information when I study for my big exams.

Second--I come up with a designated study space so I can be as productive as possible. It's really important for me, and for most college students, to get out of my room and get into the library. Like a lot of my peers, I prefer to do my work within the comfort of my bedroom, but studying where I relax instead of walking to the library is not the answer because I never stay completely on task. But if I'm in an academic environment, where I'm surrounded by people who are studying for exams, meeting with groups for presentations, working on a term paper or writing a portfolio, I find myself amazed by the sudden burst of motivation I feel to get things done. Of course, a burst of motivation isn't magic. I do have to go to the library with a positive mind set and a game plan; but once I have the two figured out I can tackle anything.

Last, but not least--I exchange my thoughts, ideas, and notes in small group sessions  with my peers in order to grasp a better understanding of my classes. It feels strange at first, but once I lose the "I can do it myself" attitude, I realize how well these group sessions work. Quite often there is someone who doesn't understand a concept that I do, and teaching it to them helps me to retain the information more accurately and for a longer period of time. But there are also times when I'm the one who is struggling to understand a concept and my peers create concrete examples to help me understand it. Group sessions can also help you find interesting paper topics.  All of us at some point in time have had trouble coming up with topics for writing papers. Bouncing ideas off of each other and asking questions is one of the best ways to generate a topic and find a purpose in doing research. Then, when it comes time for that test or paper, we're prepared thanks to each others suggestions and input.

Remember: You have control over your school work; your school work does not have control over you. I know at times it can be overwhelming to think of all you have to do, but take it one day and one step at a time: first, get organized, second, choose a place for studying and only studying, and third, find a small group of peers to study with and bounce ideas off of. If you can do these three things, you should be well on your way to earning good grades.

Until next time,
Kendra