We
are only a month or so into the school year, but the homework is starting to
pile up. Readings are stacking up, papers need to be written, and projects need
consideration. With papers, projects and readings looming overhead, I have
developed a list of tips to help a student stay on top of the mounds of
homework that further our education!
1.
Time it. I have seen the excellent advice of pacing yourself; set a timer,
generally 25-45 minutes. During this time period you do some hardcore
studying, not letting anything distract you. When the timer goes off, take a
5-15 minute break (setting the timer for that as well) to just do something
leisurely. Then go at it again, setting a timer to get some firm studying done.
2.
Close Facebook. No, seriously. Close it. In fact, don’t touch the
browser at all unless you are doing research. Don’t give yourself any excuses.
If you absolutely MUST check your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc, then do it
during the 5-15 minute break mentioned above. Be SURE to have your timer
though, because then you can’t get sucked in for endless hours; the timer will
force you to stop and go back to work.
3.
Environment matters. Don’t lay on your bed, or lay on a couch. Your
environment matters greatly when you study. If you study in a relaxing
environment that you always associate with a feeling of rest, then your brain
is going to switch to that resting mode it has for that environment. Choose
study-specific environments, like the library, or the commuter lounge, or even
just your desk in your room. If you don’t believe me that environment matters,
ask Matt McAlack! He’ll prove it to you in all the brainy technical terms
you’ll need.
4.
Prioritize. What’s due first? It’s best to get the things that are due
first out of the way. People often try to get the easiest assignments done
first, but that’s taking up valuable time that could be better spent on
something that is due sooner. This way, you don’t stress out about something
that’s due tomorrow because you were working on something that is due in three
days. Prioritizing has been especially easy for me with the app ‘MyHomework’,
which I got on my Kindle Fire HD. It’s absolutely free and it puts up the list
for you of what’s due first.
5.
Study Alone. I hear often that people study better in groups, but guys,
when we get down to it, we all know that the people we have around us are
distracting. When you’re spending time with friends, even if you’re both
supposed to be doing homework the temptation to goof off and have fun is
overwhelming. It is often best to study alone, or study with one person
who is quite studious themselves. It is easy to find a solitary space to study
in with the study rooms at the library, to which the keys can be checked out
right at the front desk.
6.
Use flash cards and notes. This method is especially helpful if you’re
in a class that has important terms that must be remembered. Write the term
down on one side of an index card, and then write the definition on the other
side. Then quiz yourself, only looking on the definition side once you’ve tried
to give your own. Also, during readings, it is highly profitable to take notes.
If something stands out to you, or if there’s something that you personally
disagree with, go ahead and write it down! The professor will absolutely love
it when you bring it up with them or the class.
7.
Get a head start and don’t cram. This is incredibly important. The
sooner you get to work on some of your homework, projects or papers, the sooner
it will be done. Cramming is not healthy, mentally or emotionally, and you retain
a lot less information when you cram than if you study at a more casual pace.
So try to make a list as early in the semester as you can of homework, big and
small, and their due dates. This way, when you get something done before it’s
due, you’ll have some time to just relax and do something fun instead of cram
for that particular piece of homework.
8.
Reward yourself. I saw a fantastic idea on Pinterest where a person put
gummi bears every so often on the pages of the book they were reading; when you
get to the gummi bear, you eat it! This can also be used with M&Ms,
Skittles, etc. It motivates you when you get a reward. I would highly suggest
this method; a mini candy bar always tastes better when you’ve worked hard to
earn it! It gives a much more positive attitude towards homework when you know
you’ll get something good out of it.
9.
If you don’t understand something, ask! Every single teacher I’ve had
here at Cairn has always responded graciously to any emails I sent with a
question. Teachers love it when you ask questions because that shows you’re
doing the work and thinking about it, and that you want to do the work well. If
there’s a prompt for a homework assignment that is confusing for you, or if the
guidelines for your paper or presentation could mean a couple different things,
just send the professor an email and ask them. They will be more than happy to
get back to you and elaborate on what they mean and what they are looking for.
Just remember; it never hurts to ask!
10.
WANT IT. This is the most important tip I could possibly give. You have
to WANT to get your homework done, or else none of these tips will work
anyways. You have to be willing to sit down and work hard for this education
that you are paying to have. College is a gift that plenty of American students
take for granted. We’re here to experience and learn, and to learn we have to
do some things that aren’t always pleasant. Even if it’s not pleasant, you can
want to get it done. And who knows? Maybe you’ll learn a few things by the time
you finish that annoying homework assignment or tough paper.
~Rachel Krodel
So, it’s threatening to become a common situation: a major
snow storm has you stuck on campus on a snow day - without electricity, without
WiFi … without NETFLIX. What are you supposed to spend your day doing now?!
Believe it or not, there was a time when people curled up with a good book when
the weather
kept them indoors (shocking, I know). While you may think the
library is made up entirely of the BIB REF section, there are a lot of
resources here that will help you replicate that TV watching experience as best
as possible. With a little imagination you’ll forget you’re not watching the
real deal. Here’s some suggestions for stocking up before the next storm:
If you watch NEW GIRL: Jess Day is probably the best
teacher, ever. Submerse yourself in the kind of whimsicality that she would
enjoy by visiting the children’s section on the library mezzanine floor. For
the best picture books, try Caldecott award winners, which have their own
section. For a heavier read, try Harry Potter (how have you all gone without
them for so long?!)
If you watch THE OFFICE: Remember when Michael Scott started
his own paper company? Oh, what fun… Some of the library’s books on
entrepreneurship and marketing are really entertaining (okay, they lean more
towards educational, but can’t earning money be fun, too?)
If you watch PARKS AND REC, or situation comedy/parody: The
library has a great little section of parody fiction, humorous quotes, and joke
books. Try browsing call numbers PN 1647 - PN 6261.
If you watch ANIME: Right under that comedy section are a
few books on comics and manga art.
If you watch GOSSIP GIRL, UGLY BETTY, or CARRIE
DIARIES: If New York socialites are your
thing, try “The Age of Innocence” by Edith Wharton or “The Great Gatsby” by F.
Scott Fitzgerald. Bonus - “The Great
Gatsby” is really, really short.
If you watch SUPERHEROES: Try “God on the Streets of Gotham”
by Paul Asay, or any of the books based on movies in that section.
If you watch THE MINDY PROJECT: One of Mindy’s trademarks is
her love of pop culture, but remember Mindy’s pastor fiancé, Casey? Explore how
pop culture meets the church in books such as “Pop Culture Wars” by William D. Romanowski,
or “Why Johnny Can’t Sing Hymns” by T. David Gordon. Or… you could always mosey
over to the BIB REF section? Hey, I guess it’s not that
bad after all.
~Christine Fitzpatrick
Are human actions actually free, are they determined by God to do what he wants, or is the answer somewhere in the middle? This question of freedom came to me during a difficult final I was taking. As I sat there in that final I felt that all of my studying was for not and I was most likely going to receive a low mark anyway so why keep trying. I considered just closing up the final, handing it in, and hoping that I would just pass the class. Be assured however that I did not do this I pressed on and finished that final. However it did make me think about freedom and why God chose to give us this freedom. I think that because I wrestled with the aforementioned dilemma it is obvious that we do have freedom in some form.
With the freedom that we have what should we do? There is both good and bad that can come from having freedom. Most of the time there is many options that we choose on a daily basis but all of the options usually boil down to two main conclusion, good or bad. In my final the good outcome was to continue, and the bad decision was to give up. The majority of the time the good outcome will be a harder outcome to go after in decisions that are important. This is where perseverance comes in. Perseverance is defined as steadfastness in completing a task despite any difficulty or length of time in achieving success. To me this embodies the college life experience, because it is a great length of time and a very hard task to complete. As Christians we need to persevere also and not be lackadaisical in life. Colossians 3:23-24 says, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” As men and women of Christ perseverance is a must because we are not ourselves but we are Christ.
In closing, since we are free as Christians we must choose the life of perseverance daily not just a once in a while when it counts kind of thing, but a lifestyle of decisions that are hard and for the benefit of God. In college there is plenty of options to pick with good and bad consequences such as; to skip class just because I have skips to use, to not complete an assignment or not do it on time, to not study, to give up, to drop out, and many more that will lead to destruction of your college career. What you should do is when hard decisions come face them and pull through. Create a schedule to study and do homework so you don’t find yourself awake at four in the morning finishing a paper due at eight. Use your personal discernment and don’t bite off more than you can chew. All in all, use the freedom that God has placed upon you to do everything in a way which glorifies him, is beneficial to you, and causes something great in return.
~Jeff Simpson~
The library is a place for some serious studying, which occasionally produces the heavy desire to munch and crunch. There is a sign that remind folks not to go up or down the stairs with the intentions to eat food. The library is a great place to practice integrity, so please do not ignore the sign and feed the gobble monster in your tummy that likes to scratch at your insides. If you feel as though you cannot resist, walk quickly to the lobby near the front desk and munch there for some time. Why do we ask for such a difficult request? The library has many lovely books that help many people. Some books are older than most students, if not all. We try our best to keep these books clean and stainless, so the farther they are from food the better.
The sensational smells that enter the library with patrons are not only a dead giveaway of your belongings, but they also serve as distractions to other focused students. Aromas provide different therapies for people, and the aroma of food is like a lovely poison, stimulating the brain to think the body needs food, and thus other people might feel the sudden urge to eat as well, and they lose that God given grace to focus. Please think of others and the beautiful essence of the library.
Thank You
Dominique Delva
Before we dive into the essence of this article, take a
moment to describe what you think the function of the Masland Library is. You
will probably recall the heavy coursework of this past semester’s homework that you diligently
completed in the library and decide that the Masland Library is a place for
students to read books, research, and write papers. While this is the primary
function of the library, I want to propose the library can be thought of as
something else: a resource for social
entertainment. Mind you, the Masland Library is not where the social
entertainment should take place, but we do have a number DVD’s, CD’s, and books
ideal for your social affairs. Therefore, I have compiled a list of some of the
Masland Library’s finest materials so that you may realize the full potential
of this library as a resource for social entertainment. This blog will focus on
movies and will be followed by two more blogs on music and books for social
entertainment.
Movies
Few
people realize that behind the front desk at the Masland Library are many
movies that people watch for recreational purposes. Besides documentaries,
educational films, and operas there are 150 recreational films. Below I have
highlighted some of the library’s best films according to genre. Check one out
the next time you visit the library!
Operas – Richard Wagner’s Tristan Und Isolde, Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata, Giacomo Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Georges Bizet’s Carmen, Wolfgang Mozart’s Don Giovanni
These
operas are only 5 of about 100 operas the Masland Library has on DVD. You might
have to be a true musical geek to check them out. If not, watch one anyway and
consider yourself cultured.
Musicals – Sound of
Music, Singin’ in the Rain
Do not underestimate the
entertainment of a musical put into film. It may not have the same feel as a
live performance, but remember the cast had unlimited tries to perfect each
scene.
Westerns – Stagecoach,
The Alamo
Westerns might not be
everyone’s thing, but try widening your horizons with these two films.
Classic books
turned into films – 12 Angry Men, Pride and Prejudice, Death of a Salesman, Grapes of Wrath
The books are called “classics” for
a reason. These are sure to be worth the time to watch with your friends.
Follow up by discussing how the film answers the enduring questions.
For all Disney fans, be sure to
enjoy yourselves with these two Disney favorites. Feel free to sing along.
Science Fiction – The
Original Star Wars Trilogy, The
Matrix, Minority Report, Planet of
the Apes
If you have not watched Star Wars by now, the time has come. The
original trilogy made significant advances in the use of special effects and
drastically shaped our culture. Any of these four sci-fi movies are a good
choice for your movie night.
War – Gods and Generals, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List, The Hunt for Red October
Experience some of the world’s 19th
and 20th century wars through these popular historical war films. I
daresay Schindler’s List will draw a
tear or two.
Drama – The Truman
Show (Satire, Comedy), Fireproof (Christian), Stranger Than Fiction (Comedy), Cast Away (Adventure), The Passion of the Christ (Religion,
History)
These drama films really have
little in common (hence the secondary genres in parenthesis) but they are all
quality films that deserve your attention. They are more “moving” than
“exciting.”
Biographical film – Finding
Neverland, A Beautiful Mind, A River
Runs Through it, Gandhi
All of these films are also drama
pieces but they are based on real people from the real world. Learn to see life
through someone else’s eyes.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Yes, the library does indeed have
all three The Lord of the Rings movies. These movies are so fantastic I decided
to separate them from the others in this list. We can only hope the library
will add the new The Hobbit movies to
the collection.
~Wayne Hailstone
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