Marybeth Norcross

Time Troubles

Many students have some kind of time troubles. They can be caused by overcommitment, perfectionism, or simple procrastination, and they can create a lot of stress and anxiety. If we don’t deal with them, they lead to missed assignments, low-quality papers, and poor test scores.

Get a System

One of the most common “fixes” for time troubles is to use a planner, calendar, or journal. Students will pick one, use it for awhile, and then gradually many of them will stop. Why don’t they stick with it? It’s because calendars, planners, and journals are only part of the solution. Time management systems, whether digital (phone, tablet, or laptop), or analog (pen and paper), aren’t one-size-fits-all. Even the choice of digital or analog is based on what works best for the individual. So before you commit to a time management tool, it’s a good idea to figure out what your particular time troubles are.

I don’t have time!

Most of the students who come into my office tell me they don’t have time. There can be a lot of reasons students feel this way, but here are three of the most common, along with some suggestions for solving them.

Things falling through the cracks: Identify why this is happening. Have you included everything you need to accomplish in your calendar or planner? Put all your assignments, tests, papers, and projects on your calendar, and plan when you will start them so you are not working of everything at the same time. Prioritize what you have to accomplish, and watch for lighter time periods so that you can take advantage of slower times to get work done. It helps to keep a monthly overview calendar so you can plan further in advance. I keep yearly, monthly, and weekly calendars in my journal so I’m not thrown off guard when things get really crazy.

Too behind to catch up: Feeling like you can’t catch up can cause serious motivation problems, leading you to think, “why bother”, and give up. To catch up, try to figure out how you got there. Are you a procrastinator? If so, the key to solving these time troubles is to stay on top of your work so you don’t fall behind. This is great advice, but how do you get caught up so you can do that?

Start by breaking down all your tasks into smaller pieces, until you can find something you can do immediately. Keep working away at those smaller pieces until the tasks are done. I use pages in my journal to break down big jobs into smaller tasks, and then check them off as I complete them. It can be very motivating to watch yourself making progress.

If you’re not a procrastinator, you might be overcommitted. Try limiting your commitments so that you aren’t being pulled in too many directions. This may mean giving up some activities and interests for a period of time so that you can focus on getting back on track.

Overworked: There will always be times when your classwork overwhelms you. Multiple tight deadlines surrounded by long reading assignments will leave you feeling exhausted. You know you have time troubles, however, when that feeling of overwork becomes normal, and you aren’t taking the time for proper meals or needed sleep. To combat this, start by making sure you are actually working during your schoolwork time. Try keeping a homework log, and track what you accomplish during your work time. Are you actually working as much as you think you are? You might need to eliminate any distractions that can eat away at your time.

Next, look at your weekly schedule and set dedicated work time and put it on your calendar. Then make a realistic list of what you will accomplish during that time and how much time you will assign to each task. Organizing your work time in this way can help you stay focused, and helps you stay within your time limits. When it’s time to stop, do it. Working to the exhaustion point doesn’t lead to academic achievement.

Identifying your time troubles and applying specific solutions will make using your preferred time management system much more helpful. The more helpful it is the more likely you are to stick with it.

Record Audio Study Notes

Everyone knows someone can see a movie or listen to an album once and then recite the dialogue or lyrics from memory. Auditory or Aural learners prefer to learn information by listening, rather than reading. One helpful way to study is to consolidate and summarize information, then record the summaries and listen to them. This is easy to do if you have an audio recording app on your phone.

Most cell phones come with an voice recorder already installed, and for most students, it will have enough features to meet their needs. For example, iPhones come with Voice Memo, which allow recording without time limits. But there are many other apps, free and paid, available for both iOS and Android devices. Below are four of the most popular.

Dictaphone lets you dictate notes and memos, as well as record lectures, seminars, and meetings. There is no limit to recording length, and you can upload recordings to Dropbox, SoundCloud, Google, Evernote, Skydrive, and Box. The recorder will pause automatically for incoming calls, and allows you to sort recordings by name, date, or size. iOS and Android. Free

Audio Memos is an easy to use audio recorder full of powerful features. There is no limit on recording length or number of recordings, and it allows for background recordings while you multitask. Sync your recordings with iCloud to access anywhere. It will pause automatically for incoming calls, and email your recordings to others. In-app purchases allow you to extend the features. Upload to Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, or Evernote, add pictures to your recordings, and edit them. Use it in lectures, meetings, and study sessions. iOS and Android. $

Voice Recorder HD is a full featured voice recorder app with unlimited recording time and background and Bluetooth recording. Email your recordings or upload to Dropbox. It will sync with iCloud and is sharable through AirDrop between two iOS devices. The app is easy to use and is good for students who need to manage multiple recordings. iOS and Android. $

Just Press Record is a simple, professional audio recorder with unlimited recording time, speech to text transcription, easy sharing, and more. Recordings are organized by date, are searchable, and sync instantly via iCloud to all your devices. It will record in the background while to use other apps, allowing you to multitask. iOS only. $$

If listening to information helps you better remember it, consider using an audio recorder app on your cell phone or tablet to make recordings you can listen to during your study sessions.

What Do You Expect from Your Profession

I want to finish this series on expectations by talking about your future professional career. Just as your expectations for your education and instructors impact your level of academic motivation and satisfaction, your expectations for your profession are important to your success in your professional and personal life.

Why Did You Choose Your Program

If knowing why you are here at UAMS was significant in maintaining your motivation to work hard and do your best to be academically successful, then knowing why you have selected your program is going to be important in your future success and satisfaction. So, why did you choose your program? What attracted you? What do you expect your profession is going to do for you?

Everyone has their own reasons for going into a profession. Some want to make a difference in quality of care patients get. Others enter a program to gain experience necessary for a future job. I had one student tell me that she wanted to become an Emergency Medical Technician to gain experience that would help her get into a Physician Assistant program. An RN was seeking a master’s degree to move into nursing administration. These students had good reasons and clear expectations for their programs. It helped them stay motivated when things got difficult.

What Have I Done?

How much did you know about your future profession when you chose your program? Had you done your research? It’s awful to begin a program, and realize half way through that it isn’t right for you. It may be more challenging or less interesting than you thought it would be. How prepared were you for your program?

Learn all you can before about the profession before you start the program. Ask about the challenges, the demands, and the rewards so your expectations are better aligned with reality. Don’t make assumptions based on your past academic performance. If the program administrators tell you that the program is rigorous or challenging, believe them. They want you to be as prepared as possible when you enter the profession.

Focus On Your Life Goals

Make sure that your chosen profession will fit in with your future life goals. I have friends who chose a career in nursing for the flexibility it gives them. They both work coverage shifts. They don’t have a guaranteed schedule, they just fill in as needed. One is a dedicated endurance athlete, and the other loves to travel and works all over the country. Their professional choices aligned perfectly with their life goals. My primary care is provided by a Physician Assistant. She works 9-5 Monday through Friday, so she is home in the evenings with her husband and kids. She chose to become a Physician Assistant because she wanted to have time with her family. Again, her career choice and life goals were well matched. This has allowed her to be successful.

Your expectations for your profession are another part of your motivation to work hard and be successful in your program. When you know what you want, it’s much easier to stay focused. So know why you chose your profession, and what you expect to get out of it. It will make your academic journey more purposeful and enjoyable.

What Do You Expect from Your Instructors?

Last week I asked you what you expected from your education. I asked you to think about why you are here at UAMS, and whether your experience is meeting your expectations. I also advised you to reflect on and alter your expectations from time to time, because when your expectations are aligned with your experience, your motivation and satisfaction increases. And, motivation and satisfaction are important for academic success.

This week, I want you to think about what you expect from your instructors. Instructors tend to be the most visible representatives of a college or university, and students will often base their evaluation of their program on their opinions of their instructors. And, while instructors have a lot of expectations for their students, those same students arrive in class with expectations for the faculty.

What Do You Expect from Your Instructors

The expectations you bring into the classroom are often influenced by your experience with your previous instructors. You will probably want them to do the things your favorite instructors did in the past. For example, you might have had an instructor whose passion for their subject inspired your curiosity, or sparked your interest in your current field of study. It would be natural for you to expect the same passion from your instructors at UAMS. At the same time, we all remember that professor whose class we endured, probably because it was a requirement. It may have been an important course, but you missed out because of the way it was taught. You are probably expecting your instructors to do better than that in your current program.

Keep in mind that your instructor can’t be aware of the expectations you bring into his/her classroom. Every student is different, and their expectations are unique to their personality and prior experience. In addition, student expectations are rarely shared with the instructor. These factors often lead to a disconnect when expectations make contact with reality.

When Expectations Meet Reality

So, what should you do when reality doesn’t live up to your expectations? First, remember why you are here and what you want to get out of your educational journey. Renewing your commitment to your academic journey will help reduce the impact of misplaced for unmet expectations.

Second, reach out to your instructors. Ask questions, engage in discussion, and seek guidance. They are masters of their professions, and they want to help you achieve your professional and academic goals. They have chosen to teach – to invest in future generations of professionals – and they want to do their best. So, don’t decide to disconnect. Reach out instead.

Finally, remember what you have the power to change. You can change how you react and what you do. Take steps to make your learning more satisfying and enriching. Connect with your peers to go deeper into the content. Look for places to volunteer, where you can interact with professionals on the front lines. Find opportunities to connect what you are learning to real world experience. You don’t have to make a huge time commitment to deepen both your learning and experience.

You bring expectations of your instructors to class, and sometimes the reality will far exceed those expectations. When it doesn’t, don’t become discouraged. Know why you are there, what you want, and take steps to make things better.

What Do You Expect from Your Education?

Why are you at UAMS? No, really, why did you choose us for your education? Educators talk a lot about expectations, usually referring to the expectations they have for their students. But faculty expectations for education is only part of the equation. Students bring their own expectations, and they should be examined as well.

It’s Your Education

Okay, so it’s your education. What are you expecting? You started this journey for a reason. What was it? What are you expecting to get out of it? These questions will determine the time and effort you are willing devote to your schooling, so you need to ask yourself, what do you expect?

Look, a health sciences education isn’t easy. There are books full of facts that your instructors say that you need to know. You are expected to learn a wide variety of procedures that will need to become second nature. You have to grapple with ethical issues that will inform your future practice. Will it be enough? Will you be ready? Or, is it all too much? The answers to these questions depend partly on your expectations.

If you don’t know why you are here, or what you want, you won’t be able to answer these questions. Sometimes, people choose a path because they don’t have anything better in mind. They adopt a “why not” attitude. They drift through courses, not unhappy, but not fully engaged either. Without a set of reasonable expectations based what they want out of their education, they can’t be truly successful.

So, do you know what you expect and why?

Examine your Expectations

Take time to think about your expectations for your education. How informed are they? Did you know what your education would be like? Will it get you where you want to be? Were you realistic? If you know why you are here and what you want, but find that some of your expectations were unrealistic, then maybe you need to modify your expectations.

Expectations should change a bit when they encounter reality. Like so many things in life, you rarely know what to expect until you have at least some experience behind you. So expect to make some adjustments. When your expectations are aligned with your experience, your motivation and satisfaction increases. If they don’t align, you get frustrated, your courses seem pointless, and your motivation plummets. So, stop often to adjust your expectations.

Own your expectations, and be aware of how they affect you. Stay engaged with your education. If something seems pointless, ask about its significance. If you are inspired by an idea or assignment, connect it to as many other experiences as you can. Look for ways to have your expectations met, and don’t wait on others to do it for you. After all, it’s your education.

Working Around a Holiday Cluster

I love vacation time. I love having time off to rest, putter around, or just have fun. I always make sure I have wrapped up my projects so I can relax and not think about work. I like holidays too. They are a gift of free time, spread out throughout the school year, that I can spend however I like. My problem is that I have trouble staying focused and productive during a holiday cluster.

What is a Holiday Cluster?

A holiday cluster is a bunch of holidays grouped together over a short period of time. I always have to plan very carefully in order to be productive during holiday clusters. I feel like I’m always stopping and starting. Does anyone else have that problem?

It starts with Veterans Day in November. Then we get the Thanksgiving holiday. Then we’re back for a couple of weeks, and it’s off for Winter Break. We get back right after the New Year, but then we take another day for Martin Luther King, Jr., then work a couple more weeks and we’re off for President’s Day. Do you see what I mean? The holidays are all clustered together. It can be hard to find your rhythm with all the starts and stops. It can really mess with your motivation.

My Holiday Cluster Woes

When I was an undergrad, I had terrible time management skills. I tended to work in fits and starts, and I rarely planned past the next day. I was always surprised by due dates and exams. They were always scheduled well in advance, with plenty of notice, but I’d be caught off guard every time. Holidays surprised me too. I mean, I knew we got the holiday, but I never seemed to know exactly when it was. I never prepared for the time off. There seemed to be a lot of due dates around the holiday cluster too. I could have prepared for them, but I didn’t, so either my coursework or my holiday suffered. It was usually my coursework.

I did much better as a graduate student. I was older (much) and I was better at managing my time. And now, I know that I have to keep this stuff on my calendar and get everything done before I enjoy the holiday weekend. I know the return week will be challenging, because, for some reason, 4-day weeks seem longer than 5-day weeks. I still find it a challenge.

How do you work around the holiday cluster? Have you found a way to keep your motivation and productivity up? After all, if we are given the gift of free time, we should be allowed to enjoy at least some of it. Don’t you think?

Embrace Nerding Out

Nerding Out

When you know a lot of information about something unusual, usually nerdy, and express it with great enthusiasm. Urban Dictionary

I have a life-long habit of nerding out. Over the years the subjects have ranged from the films of Clark Gable, to the Plantagenet kings and queens of England, to women’s clothing in the 19th Century. I would become fascinated by these topics, reading everything I could get my hands on, and then I’d see the films, visit the castles, or recreate the clothing. I would talk about these subjects in mind-numbing detail, driving my friends and family crazy.

In the last six months, I have been nerding out over the Hamilton soundtrack (Lin-Manuel Miranda is brilliant!) and the Star Wars novels. I have lots of company in my obsession with Hamilton. It’s THE hot musical right now, and people are really into it. Since it is so popular, it doesn’t really fit the definition of nerding out.

It’s a bit more embarrassing to admit nerding out over the Star Wars novels, because it really is nerding out. The only people I can discuss the details with are my sons. Nobody I know is that interested, and while the new movies are very popular, nobody in my acquaintance is terribly interested in the minute details that fascinate me. I sometimes say that I’m reading them to keep up with my son when we talk about Star Wars, but really, it’s because I love them. By the way, I’m also up to date on both Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Star Wars Rebels animated series. Just in case you were wondering.

Being a Nerd Rebel

I think nerding out is my little rebellion against adulting. Being an adult can be tiresome. You have to be responsible all the time, and take care of your business first. I get tired of that. So, I nerd out about a couple of specific things because it’s an acceptable way to be a rebel.

As you progress through your academic career, I encourage you to embrace your inner nerd. Give yourself permission to indulge in a little nerding out. So often we are pushed to like something according to what others have decided is attractive, worthy, or cool. Be a rebel. Like what you want to like, even if it’s unique or a little weird. Just make sure it’s you, and it enriches your life in some small way. Even if it’s just the pleasure of a small rebellion.

Traditions from Babylon: Resolutions for Success

Are you part of the nearly 45 percent of Americans who say they make New Year’s Resolutions? The tradition dates back to the ancient Babylonians who made promises to the gods in an effort to gain their favor. While we’ve been keeping the tradition ever since, today our resolutions focus on self-improvement.

Reflection to Resolutions

January 1st is a great opportunity to make resolutions to change academic habits that aren’t working for you. Think back over the last semester.

How successful were you?
Did you meet your goals?
Were your goals attainable?
How well did you balance your academic requirements with the other areas of your life?
Did you manage your time as effectively as you could?
Did you work hard enough to achieve your goals?
If you worked hard, do you need to find ways to work smarter so you can maximize your study time?

Potential academic resolutions lie in your answers to these questions. If everything is running smoothly, that’s great! But if it isn’t, what do you want or need to change? If Plan A isn’t working, then it’s time to move to Plan B or even Plan C. No plan is ever perfect. You should always be updating and changing your plan based on your needs. What worked for you in the past may not work in your current situation. So, make a new plan and meet your goals for academic success.

Resolutions to a New Plan

If you want some help creating a new plan, the Student Success Center has a wide range of resources to help you find what you need. Visit our On Demand Support page to find materials that provide support and guidance. And if you don’t see what you need, tell us what you are looking for. Use the Academic Coaching Request form to make an appointment with a Learning Specialist for personalized guidance and advice. We will work with you to find what you need.

Learn from the traditions of ancient Babylon. Make your resolutions for the new academic year. The Student Success Center is here to help if you. We want you to have a very successful New Year.

Relax, Rest, and Enjoy Winter Break

With finals over,students are ready to rest. It’s important to take time to have fun and relax so you can begin strong when the new semester starts, so here are four ways you should take care of yourself over the winter break.

Take Care of Your Physical Self

No doubt you want to have some fun during your break, but take time to get some rest and relax. You don’t want to return in January more tired than you were when you left. During the crunch of finals, many students don’t take time for meals or eat enough of the right foods. What you put into your body is important, so refuel your body by making good food choices. And, make time to exercise. While it is tempting to lay around watching movie marathons on Netflix, exercising consistently for thirty minutes three to six times a week will increase your ability to be proactive when you return to campus instead of reacting to all the outside forces around you.

Take Care of Your Brain

After all the studying and preparing you do before your finals, you may think that you just need to empty your brain for a while. What you want to do it feed it; or more specifically, feed the creative side of your brain. Let’s face it; almost all your finals required you to use the left side of your brain. You had to practice logical thinking, accuracy, and analysis, and all that brain work has left you exhausted. To refresh your brain do something creative. Read a book, just for fun. Write in your journal, or blog, or just a letter to a friend or family member. Paint something, take some pictures, build in Minecraft, sing and dance, or play some video games. Do something that requires you to be intuitive, subjective, random, and creative. Rest the left side and enjoy engaging the right side of your brain.

Take Care of Your Spirit

Taking care of your spirit means to reconnect to your value system and the things that inspire you. This is a very personal form of renewal and people do it very differently. Some people immerse themselves in distinguished literature or surround themselves with great music. Others head outdoors to communicate with nature. Still others refresh their spirit through prayer and meditation. Whatever method you use, take the time to reconnect and recommit yourself to those things that inspire and uplift you.

Take Care of Your Emotional Self

Take some time to heal after the stress of finals. Spend time with people you enjoy: with family and friends who make you feel loved and secure. Perform at least one act of service, especially an act of anonymous service, where you will gain nothing more than the satisfaction of helping others. Make a difference to someone else on a small way. As humans, doing something that is meaningful and beneficial to others brings out the best in us and renews our emotional self.

You will find that the best self-care comes through finding the balance in each of these four areas. So enjoy your Winter Break, relax, and we will see you when you return in January.

Taking Your Finals in the Testing Center

The Testing Center is preparing for finals. If you have tested with us before, you know we have limited space. We have 24 regular testing computers, 12 reserved special testing cubicles, and hundreds of students to test. So, here are four tips to make your finals as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Testing Tip 1: Know the Testing Center Protocols

Read the Testing Center Protocols before you come in to test. The Protocols clearly explain the rules relating to the Testing Center’s hours, sign-in procedures, testing room policies, and academic integrity standards.

Testing Tip 2: Test Early

Don’t wait until the last minute to take your test. If you do, then you can expect to experience delays and waiting time if all spots are filled. The busiest times tend to be the hours between 4:00 pm and closing time. Keep that in mind as you plan for your finals. Come early and beat the rush and the stress of waiting.

Testing Tip 3: Remember the “Drill”

Bring your UAMS Student ID
Place all your personal belongings in one of the lockers outside the testing room with cell phones silent or off
Sign in at the desk as usual, and be sure to check with one of the testing coordinators and let them know what test you are there to take. We can’t open your test if we don’t know who you are.

Testing Tip 4: Know the login procedure for your test before arriving.

Is your final in Blackboard? Lockdown Browser? ExamSoft? ATI? The initial phase of logging in and accessing your exam is your responsibility. Make sure you know what to do.

Keep these things in mind and taking your finals will be a much smoother experience.