Resources

Time Management is essential in order to be successful in college and life in general. The following tips have been provided to assist you with the process:

• At the beginning of the semester, spend time transferring assignment and paper dates from your syllabi to a calendar, planner, or app. Brainstorm how you can break down each assignment into more manageable chunks, such as writing a paragraph per day for a paper or setting aside 30 minutes daily for each class to study. Small study sessions each day are more productive than a cram session

• Organize your study space and get rid of distractions! It is easier to focus when your space is “clean” based on your personal standards. Turn off your phone or use an app, to block access to addicting social media and games during study time. 

• Develop a routine and stick to it. Consider scheduling study sessions during times when you are naturally more alert and your home environment is less distracting, such as early morning for a morning person or when everyone else is asleep for a night owl.

• Make a daily to do list with everything you would like to accomplish, academic or otherwise, prioritize your list in order of importance.

• Focus on 1 assignment at a time. Resist the temptation to skip to other assignments when feeling challenged. 

• Do not forget to take breaks, but make sure you do not go beyond the time set aside for it! Short mind breaks are useful transitions between subject changes or when you are feeling overwhelmed.

Check out this free app, MyStudyLife, that assists you with organizing your classes and assignments!

Many students find college coursework much more challenging than high school. You may have been able to “wing” your assignments and papers in high school, but that is not likely at the college level. The study tips and resources below should assist with navigating difficult coursework.

• Attend every class, if possible. Class instruction may include helpful insights for subject comprehension from professor to classmates. 

• Develop good note taking skills. Avoid trying to write down everything the professor says word for word. Instead, pick out the important ideas and connect them to other topics or subjects you have learned about. 

• Approach all class reading with a critical thinking standpoint. Write down your thoughts and any connections you make to other class material in the margins. Use symbols to indicate portions of the text that surprised or confused you.

• Mind mapping allows you to visualize ideas and relationships for many topics. This may be useful for visual learners, especially if you add the use of color.

• Let’s face it, sometimes you might have to memorize certain facts, definitions, or terminology before anything else makes sense. Using acronyms, rhymes, chunking, or visual cues can improve memorization.

• Teach your friends or family what you just learned! It will force you to explain the topic in your own words and help you retain the information better

• For math or technical courses, practice working problems and figuring out why the steps are able to help you solve the problem 

Check out this free app, Notability, that assist you with note taking!

We are committed to helping our Wingate Bulldogs be successful. Assessing your skill level is important to ensure your success. You may be someone who experiences test anxiety, but there are practical ways to help you manage those feelings. Some stress during exams can  heighten your focus and help keep your energy up. 

Strategies 

1. Approach the exam with confidence.

2. Be well prepared and include as much self-testing in your review as possible.

3. Focus on healthy eating, exercise and rest habits prior to testing.   

4. Simulate the exam to better manage test anxiety.

5. Challenge negative thoughts.

6. Get a good night's sleep.

On Test Day

1. Be on time. 

2. Go to the bathroom prior to being seated.

3. Take a break if time allows

4. Anticipate some physical distress symptoms, such as headaches, nausea, feelings of hot or too cold, etc. Remain calm and take deep breaths until it passes.

5. Sit in a location where you will be less distracted.

6. Bring a small snack to replenish energy and help take your mind off of your anxiety.

During the Exam

1. Read the directions and entire questions carefully.  

2. Take a minute to organize your ideas.

3. If you feel very anxious in the test, change positions to help you relax. Stretch your arms and legs and take a few slow deep breaths to relax. Then return where you left off.

4. Manage your time effectively. Many exams include a countdown timer.

5. Focus on the present, not the past or future or what other students are doing.

6. If the exam is more difficult than you anticipated, remain positive and do your best to achieve the goal of a passing grade.

7. Stay focused when others finish early. There's no reward for finishing first. 

8. Proofread when finished.

After the Exam

1. Treat yourself. Go to see a movie with a friend, grab a special drink, or your favorite meal.

2. Make a list of which strategies worked, no matter how small, as they are building blocks to success.

3. Create a specific plan for improvement (e.g. tutoring, a study group, or workshops on the subject area). 

The Christa Helms Austin Writing Center is a place where all members of the Wingate community can come to write and to talk, think and learn about writing.

Visit the consultants at the Writing Center, located on the second floor of the Ethel K. Smith Library, in the Academic Resource Center. They’ll be glad to help you with your papers for any course from biology to history and everything in between.

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Peer tutoring services are available to all Wingate students interested in supplementing their studies. Located in the Academic Resource Center on the second floor of the Ethel K. Smith Library, students can find peer tutors who hold one-on-one in-person and online tutoring sessions. Peer tutoring is available for a wide and ever-growing variety of classes. To see if peer tutoring is available for your class, follow the instructions for finding a peer tutor and scheduling an appointment.

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