KESHAWN BOSTIC is a sophomore at Northfield Mount Hermon. He is also
a student at Breakthrough New York, a nonprofit organization that transforms
the lives of motivated, low-income students by preparing them for college so
that they can succeed in the world. Keshawn’s advice:
Time management is a big part of being a good student, and to put it bluntly, it is not easy. It is all about motivation and self-discipline. Sometimes, you just need to tell yourself that work is more important than a social life. The best way to do that is to make time work for you. Learn how you work, what time you work best, and where you work best; whether you work best right after school or at midnight, do what you need to do to do the best work. Personally I prefer a lamplit room between the hours of 7-10pm for optimal performance, but that is just me. There will be times when you will have to ignore friends or that special girl/guy you’ve been Snapchatting everyday—this is just the reality of life as a student. But by having that initial work time alone, you can then make the most of your time elsewhere. JOHN PAUL ENGEL graduated from the University of Iowa and was named a
Collegiate Scholar. He earned an MBA from the University of Chicago. Today
he is Executive Director, Project Be the Change (
www.projectbethechange.com
).
His advice:
Always get at least 1 week ahead in your reading at the start of the semester in first week of classes. That way you can keep the work load more even through the semester and you will always have read the material the professor or teacher will cover in class. Take notes by hand marking the important points. Then at night type the notes into your computer. This is good review and it makes sure you have a backup of your notes. Make a one page study sheet of the items you think are the most important in
the class. In other words guess what is going to be on the test - hint if it was in the book and the teacher talked about it in class there is a good chance it will be on the test. Carry your one page study sheet around with you everywhere you go and check it when you have free time. IT's easier to learn a little at a time then it is to try to cram the night before. I never got less than an A in a class I made a one page study sheet. Convince yourself whatever you are studying is fun and will be important to you in life. IF you think it’s hard then it will be hard. If you make a game of it creating songs and little games with flash cards then you are more likely to remember it. When you study you need to study. No cell phone, Facebook, etc. You need to unplug and focus. Go someplace to study or study at the kitchen table. If you study in your room you will sleep or get interrupted by your friends. Study on Friday nights. Seriously if you want to be more than average you have to do what the average won't do. Most students start the weekend on Thursday night. If you work through Friday then you can be sure to get your work done. If not, then you still have two days before the work is due. Surround yourself by the 5 smartest people you can find. They will challenge you to be better. My friends and I used to compete on who could earn the highest score on a test. Make it a game with bragging rights.