Have you ever heard someone say they work best under pressure?  College students around the world believe that they produce some of their best work when they complete the assignment at the last moment.  Although they have been able to produce an assignment that meets the requirements of the assignment, it can be argued that it is not their best work.  Your best work will include work that you have provided adequate time to think about and examine, one you have taken your time to complete, one you have reviewed, and one that you confidently feel has received the best you could give.

 

Here are more tips on why you should avoid procrastination and get a jump start on studying and writing papers.

1.       Give yourself enough time to develop your idea.  You will want to birth your idea for the assignment and then provide adequate time to nurture, develop, and grow the idea. 

2.       Give yourself enough time.  Waiting until the last minute puts you at great risk to run out of time to work through your complete thought, all parts of the assignment, or review time.

3.       Give yourself flexibility in case of an emergency.  Anything can happen when it is crunch time to complete your assignment.  The fire alarm could sound, your computer could crash, or you could become ill.  Waiting until the last minute to start or complete the assignment could put you in a bad position if an emergency does occur.

4.       Give yourself enough time to ask for help.  What happens if you sit down to start the assignment and you do not understand the assignment or need direction. Waiting until the last minute will not allow to time to follow-up with a professor or maybe even reach out to a classmate.

5.       Give yourself peace of mind.  Waiting until the last minutes creates anxiety and undue stress.  The assignment is stressful enough, adding time constraints does not help with easing the discomfort of the assignment.  Take your time and allow yourself time to come back and review things with a clean and clear train of thought and not one that is full of stress. 

Dun… Dun… Dun…. (probably) the most dreaded moment of your high school career has arrived… Standardized testing. AH! Your teachers, parents and friends have been talking about it for years and it’s probably stressing you out. Unfortunately, there is no study guide that will help you get a perfect score and there is no secret formula to absolutely blowing the test out of the water. BUT there are a few things you CAN do to score higher on standardized testing.

Here is one secret that more people should know: The SATs and ACTs are becoming increasingly irrelevant to many college admissions processes. Yes, I said it: irrelevant. Many schools are now test optional, meaning that you do not have submit your tests scores. Even schools that do require an SAT or ACT score are recognizing that standardized test scores provide a less prominent role in admissions decisions than in pervious decades. So, deep breath fellow scholars, standardized testing is not a matter of life and death. However, for those applying to schools that take into account testing scores, here is some advice that can help you battle through this stressful process with grace:

1. Pick the test that caters to your skills

The SAT and the ACT are very different. Some students excel on the SAT but not so much on the ACT and vise versa. Take a practice test of each and analyze which test format better fits your learning style.

2. Take practice tests

This is not like your average midterm exam. You cannot simply review and memorize the material taught in the last few sections of the textbook. Instead, it will be helpful to become familiar with the test format. The time constraints for each section and the question carefully worded to require critical thinking, are pretty unique to standardized testing. Knowing what to expect is half the battle.

3. If possible, use test prep services

Educational centers like Princeton Review and Kaplan offer courses to help prepare students for the SATs or ACTs. These classes can review material that commonly appears on these tests. They also provide strategies on how to deduce the correct answer. If this option is financially viable, I highly suggest taking advantage of it. If not, don’t fret. There are books that you can rent or buy that cover the same material as these courses. There are online resources available, as well! See what services your school offers to help students prepare for these tests. Sometimes, they incorporate practice tests and tips into curriculum or host test review sessions after school hours.

4. Take care of yourself

At the end of the day, you can spend endless hours preparing for these tests, but it means nothing if you are not well rested. Getting enough sleep and eating a good meal before the exam is key to full brainpower and your ability to focus. Also, remember that it is not the end of the world. If you feel too stressed, you may sabotage your own ability to succeed. As always, remind yourself that this test score does not define you.

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Hollywood makes college spring break appear to be the epitome of party life. Movies depict a carefree, weeklong, tropical vacation with twenty of your closest friends. For college freshmen, this Hollywood phenomenon may give off the wrong impression of the typical spring break experience. Unfortunately, it often means a full week of work or studying for upcoming midterms. It is important to find the perfect balance between relaxing and enjoying your break, while also preparing for upcoming assignments. Here are five ways you can have a fun and productive spring break:

  1. Sleep

Okay, so this may seem very obvious. However, it is easy to get carried away with the excitement of spring break. Maybe you plan to visit your high school friend’s college because they are not on break. Maybe you try to line up several hang out sessions with all of your home friends. And maybe you overextend yourself and set up a full week of work. Whatever you end up doing, one week flies by. So make sure you schedule in time to sleep and recharge your batteries.

  1. Hang out with friends and family

You may be tempted to hop in bed and binge watch Netflix shows all day and night, but make sure you socialize too. If you live on campus, college significantly takes away from the amount of time you get to spend with family and friends. So use spring break to reconnect with the supportive and positive people in your life. The time you invest hanging out with your family or catching up with old friends can help make your break productive and fulfilling. If you are planning to visit family or friends in another state or country, you may book a private jet from Jettly.

  1. Create your own staycation

A cheap and easy way to have fun over spring break is to create your own “staycation”. In other words, plan a vacation at home. You can try new things in your area such as paintballing, going to the zoo or taking a hike. A staycation could even encompass a movie marathon of your choice. Grab some popcorn and snuggle up to enjoy a day of your favorite flicks or even bond over online casino gaming from เล่นที่ UFABET คาสิโนออนไลน์. The important thing is to relax and enjoy a break from the typical routine. Some also buy 5.56 ammo online for safety during the hike.

  1. Organize

Whether it’s your dorm room, study schedule or exercise plan, break is a great time to get organized. When it comes to midterms, time-management is key. When it comes to time management, utilizing tools like Time Recording can be a valuable resource.

It is impossible to properly prepare for five midterms in one week of time. Attempts to do so may lead to stress eating, sleep deprivation, mental breakdowns or the simply “I give up phase;” none of which translate well for your health or your grades. Planning when to study for an exam or when to write a paper is crucial. If you don’t plan, you may put all your energy into one midterm and cause your performance on the subsequent assignments to suffer. Buying a planner or making daily to-do lists are great ways to stay on top of your responsibilities.

  1. Study

Did I really just say that? Yes, yes I did, but hear me out. After you catch up on sleep and hang out with your friends, it’s a good idea to view your upcoming assignments. You owe it to your future self to take advantage of the break and study so that you don’t have a major headache when classes resume. You will thank yourself for getting a head start on that monster paper. Oh, and if you are one of the college students that do have midterms after break, of course you should study! Procrastination does not lead to successful results, especially during midterms. Find a sunny spot in your house or go to a local library to set up shop and hit the books.

Spring break can be a fun and refreshing mid-semester pause. It is important for your health that you truly take a “break” from your responsibilities. Going for a walk, hanging out with friends or catching up on some sleep are all great ways to unwind from a hectic semester.