Student Success Center

Success Strategies

Planning Your Academic Schedule

• Take a balanced course schedule. Distribute your classes over four days rather than just two days a week. Students with learning disabilities are advised to take no more than 12 credit hours, or about three classes.
• Avoid scheduling long classes back to back, particularly if they involve difficult concepts or long lectures. Use time in between classes to study.
• Buy a daily planner and use it. Take it with you at all times to record your activities, classes, homework assignments, and other commitments. Also, block off study times and stick to those sessions. Avoid the temptation to study “whenever.” Write down time blocks when you plan to study and adhere to it just as you would class time.
• Use your daily planner to break down long assignments and projects into smaller increments. Write down a goal or assignment in your daily planner so you know precisely what you will work on that day. For example: “On Wednesday, I will read Chapter 2 in the English textbook and answer questions 1-7.”
• Schedule your classes when you are at your optimum. If you have difficulty getting up in the morning, schedule your classes later in the day. Always allow ample time to get from home or work to school. Anticipate traffic or other delays in your commute.

Study Smarter, Not Harder

• First, have a positive attitude. Your success in school is directly related to what you expect to get out of the books, lectures, and projects. Many students find that they get back what they put into their education.
• Study your most difficult subject first. Plan to study every day in small blocks of time: one hour for each subject, divided into two 30-minute periods with a break in between.
• Set the same time each day to devote to studying. Your mind will become trained to get down to business immediately. A general rule of thumb is to study two hours for every one hour of class. Divide the time evenly throughout the week.
• Avoid distractions by conditioning family members to leave you alone during your study time. Take the phone off the hook or let the answering machine pick up for you. Study in a quiet place conducive to concentration. If you must have music in the background, opt for classical music.
• Review your notes soon after class to fill in incomplete information or any abbreviations you are likely to forget after several days. If using a tape recorder, review the recorded material to fill in missing information.

In Class

• Sit in the front of the classroom, close to the instructor and any audio or visual aids. Sit away from potential distractors such as open doors, windows, or disruptive class members. Focus on the instructor and on what he or she is saying.
• Use a tape recorder to record lectures with the instructor’s permission. After class, review the tape to make sure your notes are complete and that you understand what was said in the lecture. It is also helpful to compare your notes with those of another classmate.
• Take brief breaks to stretch your legs or get a drink of water. You may want to discuss your needs for breaks with your instructor beforehand if concerned that this may disrupt the class.

Test Taking Strategies

• Remind your instructor a few days in advance if you have test taking accommodations such as readers, scribes, extended time, or an isolated environment. Arrange to take a test in a distraction-free environment if your documentation recommends it, especially if you are easily distracted by rustling papers or movement from other class members.
• Sit where you will be least distracted. Allow at least one empty desk between you and the next student on all sides if possible.
• Listen to all verbal instructions from the instructor, and then read the test directions.
• Look at all parts of the test before you get started so that you can determine the amount of time each section will take to complete in the time allotted. Also consider the amount of points the item is worth when you are deciding how much time to allocate to it. In this time budget, leave at least five minutes for reviewing your work. Resist the temptation to change a response unless you are absolutely sure your first answer is incorrect.
• Begin working on a section that is easiest for you. This enhances feelings of confidence and success. By the same token, don’t obsess over any one item. Place marks next to items you are unsure about and come back to them later. Often you will find answers in other questions or response choices.
• Take brief breaks from the test to stretch and to refocus if allowed.
• Before responding, look at all the choices. Sometimes two choices are similar, but one response is usually “more correct.” Think of the answer before you review the choices.
• Before beginning an essay or short answer question, organize your points in a brief outline first. Ask your instructor if you can have blank scratch paper during the test to organize your thoughts. Make your points concise, with adequate detail. Instructors are quick to recognize filler material.