When I completed my first course of study, I promised myself…never again! I found it challenging going as I was working fulltime, had one child and was also renovating my house with my husband. Classes were Tuesday and Thursday evening and one Saturday in every six for two years. I remember becoming involved in study groups, and coffee discussions which mainly ended up in arguments with the various opinions of what we were to do and what we weren’t to do in completing our assignments and projects! Anyway, I finally graduated.
Within a few years, I was in study again…I know I said: “never again”. This time I had two children, one with medical needs, a husband, a dog and an hour and a half commute morning and evening to work. This time it was distance learning over three years with an in-college day every three months. For the first year, I chased my tail, attempting to get assignments in on time and receiving mediocre grades. I wasn’t enjoying it and was about to give up. It was my husband who talked me down. He told me to “manage myself and my time better”. I was irritated by this advice as I considered myself a good time manager. Anyway, after a few hours of sulking, I searched the internet for how to study or complete an assignment like a pro! And the wealth of information, tips, guides etc. was enormous. I opted for the following mix of tips, and to my surprise, it worked for me!
Here is what I did;
- Before leaving the class, divide the assignment into parts and put a date against each piece to be completed right up to four days before its due date.
- Pick the same day and time weekly to study or write; just like you would say I do yoga on a Tuesday at 7 pm to 10 pm… your friends and family then get to know when you are studying, and it becomes their norm too
- Do some exercise, a walk a run a workout for 15 to 30 mins just before you begin as it gives both your body and brain energy
- When you sit down to write, look at the assignment assessment criteria or question and from memory, write down three things you want to cover in your answer and stick to them!
- Stop, at the time you have agreed to stop, don’t go over your time allotted as you will soon find the family reminding you went over time, which will cause you feeling of guilt!
- Don’t give up family events to study; again, you will feel guilty!
- When researching on the internet, never go over four sources of content as you will find yourself spending your time on website after website after website with nothing written!
- And finally, tea and your favourite biscuits are great for the soul and the brain!
Last year I again went into education, followed all my rules, and I am now showing off …I submitted all my assignments early! And of course, passed with flying colours!
Susan Madden
Principal
