Golden Guide to Finishing the Term Strong

Follow these steps to ensure you are prepared to manage your time and complete all assignments, readings, and tasks to finish this term strong.

Create your ideal study space. 

In order to stay focused and committed to your course work, find a place where you can limit distractions (friends, family, technology, noise, etc.). Aim for a space that is comfortable, well-lit, distraction-free and equipped with the right technology. Don’t forget to have your textbooks, pens, notebooks, sticky notes, and highlighters ready!

Get organized.

For each course, list your academic tasks for the next few weeks. Include all of the chapters you need to review, practice problems to run through, etc. Use this handy assignment planner to get started and calculate where you currently stand in each course and what tasks you have remaining.

Make a plan.

This is the fun part! Now that you know what you have to do, you need to plan out when you’re going to get it done. Use the Weekly Schedule to block off time in your day to complete your tasks. 

Strategies to help you get started:

• Create a schedule every Sunday for the upcoming week.
• Schedule short blocks of time (one to two hours) for study sessions to complete readings, review material, and test your knowledge.
• Be realistic. Schedule breaks between study sessions for rest, physical activity, and meals.
• Add some necessary (and well-deserved!) “me” time to the schedule. Add breaks between study sessions for rest, physical activity, social time, and meals.
• Plan to go to sleep and get up at the same time each day. We’re creatures of habit, so it’s important to stick to a routine.

Stick to the plan.

Easier said than done – we know – but you’re in the driver’s seat and need to stay accountable to yourself. You may encounter distractions like your roommates interrupting or your phone buzzing.

Here are strategies for sticking to the plan:

• For each one-hour block, use the Power Hour technique to stay on task: 
  • Start with a goal of what you want to accomplish, work with focus for 45 minutes without distractions, take a 10-minute break, review your goal, and then assess your progress before moving on to the next task.
• Use the Tomato Timer to set a timer and study with focus.
• Put your phone away, disable pop-up notifications on your computer and turn off Netflix.
• Do it for the grades! 

Take breaks.

Once you get into study mode it’s important to take breaks and give yourself time to absorb new information. Taking a walk, grabbing a snack, doing a 7-minute workout, or just chatting with a friend can help you stay on task longer and ultimately be more productive.

For more tips on how to take effective study breaks, watch this video on How to Be Lazy and Still Get a Ton of Work Done. 

Stick to the plan... again.

The biggest killer of productivity is procrastination. When you procrastinate and push off tasks, ask yourself, “What am I avoiding and what am I doing instead?”

Everyone has procrastination triggers - those things we choose to do instead of the work that has to get done. Make a list of your procrastination triggers and create a pre-determined action for how you will deal with each trigger. For instance, if you know you watch Netflix for hours when you have a looming assignment deadline, write down “I will finish my assignment first and then reward myself with one episode”.

Remember that procrastination is a choice, so choose to be productive and stick to the plan instead! If you’re curious about why we procrastinate, check out The Science of Procrastination and How to Manage It. 

Monitor your progress.

Remember, it’s not about achieving perfection – it’s about developing your skills and knowledge. This may take some practice! Monitor your plan and note what’s working and where you may need to adapt your strategies.

Some questions to ask yourself:

• Have I planned too much, too little, or the right amount of time to complete my tasks?
• What do I find challenging?
• What am I enjoying?
• Am I making enough time to take care of myself?
• Whom can I contact to ask for support?   

Practice self-care. 

In uncertain times, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed. Being concerned and anxious about the unknown is normal. However, these feelings may increase discomfort - impacting your concentration and productivity. It’s crucial that you maintain consistent sleep patterns, eat healthy, and practice self-care.

Easy self-care strategies include: 

• Going for a walk outside. 
• Practicing deep breathing throughout the day. 
• Connecting with friends and family.

Trust yourself.

Remember, you’re almost at the finish line and you may even learn some new skills along the way. Stay focused, work hard, and reach out for support as you need it.

Looking for additional support?

Visit the Student Success Portal to register for a Exam Preparation workshop or book an Exam Preparation appointment with a Learning Consultant or Peer Academic Coach.