Studying. No matter what type of educational opportunities you are pursuing, studying is needed for college courses. As a Columbia Southern University student, you know that studying is a basic portion of furthering your education.
To be a successful student, make sure you are getting the most out of your study time. Many study tips are the same for traditional students, but an online student has extended flexibility and attention spans can be enticed elsewhere.
In order to achieve a work, life and education blend, time management is a must. Gauge your study habits to see if you are a procrastinator, have time management issues, schedule too many commitments or have another weakness. Social media sites are a big factor in swaying your time away from studying. Internet usage while studying can be an overwhelming distraction.
As an online student you work at your own pace. Setting your own schedule for studying takes a lot of self-motivation and time management. Here are a few reminders and tips about studying while attending CSU.
Plan
Be prepared for the next term of courses. Start early by knowing which classes you are taking and making sure you have enough time to study for those classes.
Organize
Set up notebooks and folders for each course. These will hold all of your notes, assignments and course work. Make sure to organize your electronic files as well, with separate folders for each.
Create a study space
Create a clean and organized workspace for studying. Your study environment should be away from interruptions; this will improve your focus while studying.
Structure your studies
Find out when you study best. It could be at night or in the morning. Develop a study schedule based on your availability and plan weekly. Schedule time and set reminders.
Eat properly
Make sure to eat properly before studying. A healthy and balanced meal will provide you energy and brainpower for studying. Without eating, you will become distracted thinking about the next meal.
Study in chunks
Instead of fitting in 10 minutes of studying in between inopportune times, set aside an hour or two and take small five minute breaks when needed. Study in chunks to retain more information while learning materials at once.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help
At CSU, we’re here to help you succeed through our courses. Take advantage of our student services. Our math and writing centers are available to all students and have plenty of resources.
Set goals and reward yourself
Give yourself motivation to study and finish assignments by setting goals and rewarding yourself. You can set short-term goals for finishing an assignment early, or set long-term goals for finishing a course or semester.
Stay logged in
Stay connected to CSU online by logging in daily. This way you will not miss an assignment, notes or discussion.
Back up all of your materials
Save. Save. Save. While writing a paper, make sure you are saving your work as you go. Technology has quirks and continually saving will come in handy incase of an accident. Also back up all of your materials to an external hard drive.
If you follow these study tips, you are certain to be a successful student. Not only will it organize your courses and studying habits, but will help keep you organized.
