Spring 2012, Volume 2
Tips from a College Graduate Some people may study better individually, but for most of us, it helps to have the support of peers to get efficient studying accomplished. Study groups offer various dynamics that lead to better knowledge retention and higher grades. With a group to hold you accountable, you are more inclined to do your part and actually look at the material. Also, some people may understand the coursework better than others and can teach it to the group. A large group is not ideal, so avoid trying to form a session with all 50 people in your class; larger groups lend to less progress. Maybe you think you’ve already mastered the material. Participating in a study group gives you the opportunity to teach others. A great test of mastery is the ability to communicate the material to others; the clearer they understand it, the more confident you can be that you truly understand the subject. Lastly, there is no shame in asking people to form a study group. The anxiety of putting yourself out there and asking people can be intimidating. Think of it like asking a question in class: chances are if you don’t understand what the professor was saying, someone else doesn’t understand it either. Remember the old adage “nothing ventured, nothing gained?” If you don’t ask, you will never know.
How Time Flies! To be successful in college, a student must be able to manage his/her time effectively. There are many self-proclaimed experts on the topic of time management and each will have a failproof method that will help you get things under control. The reality is that there is no singular technique that works for everyone. You may have to try a number of different strategies until you find the one that works best for you. Here are a few. Know Your Priorities. Priorities are what you think is important. They can be classified as A, B, or C Priorities. An A Priority is something that relates to your lifetime goal. These are the activities that become the most important tasks to accomplish that day. A B Priority is an activity that you have to do but is not directly related to your lifetime goals. These activities are less important than A Priorities, but are still necessary for survival. A C Priority is something that can be postponed until tomorrow with no harmful effect. However, the longer you put off a C Priority, it moves up and becomes a B Priority. Sometimes, we fall victim to what is known as "C fever." This is where we focus on the C Priorities and never get around to the others, often because the C Priorities require less work and provide a sense of accomplishment. Schedule Your Success. By scheduling your activities, you will find it easier to complete tasks and remain organized. Create a master schedule with your classes, work, activities, sleep, and study times. You will then have a better understanding of how much free time you actually have from day to day to tackle other projects and tasks. Using a schedule helps you avoid procrastination, find time to study, eliminates panic caused by doing things last minute, and relieves pressure because you have things under control. Create To-Do Lists. To-do lists are a quick way to organize your time. Simply write down what you need to do that day and prioritize the tasks by placing a star by the most important item, or give numerical rankings. As you accomplish items, cross them off the list. The list helps you focus on what is important, serves as a reminder not to forget certain things, and shows you what you have already completed. Aim for Excellence, Not Perfection. Aiming for perfection in tasks creates anxiety and procrastination. There are times when perfection is not necessary. In aiming for excellence, you must challenge yourself to see the big picture. Could your time be better invested accomplishing other tasks? Does this project need to be perfect? Sometimes when things get too hectic, it may be more important to complete a project than to do it perfectly. Do the First Small Step. The most difficult step in completing any project is the first step. If you have a challenging project, think of a small first step and complete that small step. Make it something that you can accomplish easily and in a short amount of time. Material adapted from College & Career Success, Marsha Fralick.
Spring 2012, Volume 2
Why Am I Always Broke?
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With the freedom of college life, the responsibility of managing your finances follows. Now that we have moved out of our parents’ house, we have a need to prove our independence...especially when it comes to money. Here are a few tips to manage your cash:
Junk food draws a surprising amount of cash flow from your wallet. When “4th meal” calls at 1am or a late-night study-run to Whataburger seems necessary, it is hard to ignore your stomach and cravings. You can save money and avoid packing on pounds by keeping healthy snack options readily available. Stocking up on pretzels, trail mixes, cereals, juices, and other easy to carry lunch-box items will keep you energized and won’t drain your wallet.
You have a meal plan. Use it! Often, meals go to waste at the end of the week which is essentially throwing money away. The cafeterias (Fresh Food Company in Moody Towers and Real Food on Campus in the OB) offer a variety of flavors at different meals, and FFCo is open until midnight most days so move the study sessions to these locations or even grab a to-go box instead of splurging on late-night carbs.
A great habit to start is creating a weekly or monthly budget. Tracking your income and expenses is a routine that ensures an awareness of available funds. Since our debit cards are our best friends in college, this process helps avoid the dreaded over-draft fees. It’s silly to pay an extra $25 for the $6 value meal.
Credit cards glitter with the option of deferring payment…but you still have to pay them. Credit card companies target college students and make it extremely appealing to sign up. They will tell you there is nothing to lose, promise free shirts and other gifts just for filling out the application, and many other tactics. What they are not telling you is that even applying for credit cards affects your credit rating. Ultimately, you are approved for a high interest credit card that has a low credit limit. You say that you will only use it for an emergency, but everything is an emergency...especial the Spring Break trip all of your friends are taking. If you don’t have a means of paying off the credit cards, it’s best to walk away. Avoid accumulating interest fees that get added on to your monthly statement by opting to pay off the card every month.
Remember, it is up to you to watch your expenses and spend wisely. It’s easy to say that you will do better next month and shop smarter when you’re staring at en empty bank account, thinking about all the money you wasted on stuff you didn’t need. However, you must change your habits in order to change your spending. Make a conscious effort to stay home more, avoid buying things you don’t really need, and utilize your meal plan or buy food items that you can keep in your room instead of eating out with friends all the time.
Questions, Comments, Suggestions? Feel free to contact us.
Freshman Year Residential Experience Moody Towers—Rm 15 713-743-6881 fyre@uh.edu www.uh.edu/fyre
Christopher Miller, Program Coordinator
Andy Chang, Student Programming Director