Jennifer Pollard
Career Counsellor
Office of Student Services
University of the West Indies (UWI), Cave Hill Campus
Now that end of term/semester exams are finally over, it is doubtless that most of you are now eagerly anticipating both the excitement and relaxation that the summer holiday brings. You may be anticipating the three long months spent at the beach and partying with friends, and some of you may even be working throughout the summer. With the anticipation of a hectic schedule, why should you engage in any thought, let alone study? How will you fit it all in anyhow?
Why study?
- Study will keep you in the mind set needed to process academic material so that you don’t lose time trying to “get into the swing of things” at the beginning of the next term or semester.
- You will see the rewards of being able to anchor new knowledge and skills in a more seamless way.
How?
- Prioritize your activities and be realistic about the social and other commitments that you make. In this vein, you might want to create a timetable or use a diary.
- Do not try to devote every hour to study because balance is essential and your overall wellness must be taken care of so that you have the physical strength, healthy mind and positive mental attitude that will allow you to maximize your study time.
- Assess your peak time for studying and set it aside to do your work.
- Share your study and time management objectives with your family members and close friends so that they know of your commitments and can also keep you accountable to your goals and ultimately to yourself.
- Know yourself! Is it effective for you to study for fifty (50) minutes at a time with ten (10) - minute breaks, or to study thirty (30) - minute intervals with five (5) to ten (10) -minute breaks?
- Set learning goals for each study session and create self-tests to assess your knowledge.
- Make meaningful notes in a way that makes the information most digestible – audio-taping for playback, utilization of diagrams, flow charts, use of coloured note cards or pens are very useful.
- Share some of your study time with peers who have similar study objectives. These meetings may take the form of review sessions in which you test each other’s understanding of the material. You may follow such sessions with a rewarding and fun activity.
- If you happen to borrow from study time to do a leisure activity, pay it back by substituting it for another scheduled leisure activity in your timetable.
- Always reward yourself for work well done and fully enjoy the reward because you deserve it, whether it is a personal pat on the back or a more tangible inexpensive treat.
While summer vacation is about enjoying yourself, don’t see your studies as a chore. Studying is about gradual mastery of knowledge and skills, being able to enjoy your intellectual growth and development and building knowledge that provides a foundation for your lifelong career and personal development. It also has a spiritual value because you know that you are optimally exercising your gifts and talents and not falling short of the achievement and growth that are possible for you. Finally, studying is a means to honouring and celebrating the inner you and giving thanks for the gift of your fine mind. So keep a sharp mind this summer!