About Those Study Skills…

MyStory Mondays is a weekly digest of our latest posts.

Our UAlbany MyStory Bloggers share their lives with you to help you to stay focused on your goals, to remind and inform you about the many supports that we have on campus to help you succeed, and to let you know that, whatever you are going through, you are not alone. 

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This week we share past posts from our Peer Advisors and our MyStory Volunteers about study habits and study skills. Please add to the list. What works for you? How do you manage your time? 

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Looking for a place to look over your notes before the big test? Are your roommates throwing a party the night before? Can’t find anywhere to settle in the library? Look no further as you’ll learn some of the secret and not-so-secret spots for studying to ensure you get that A you deserve! Click Here for More.

 

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The Advising PLUS Tutoring and Study Skill Schedule is Here!
CLICK HERE FOR MORE!

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Last semester, Simonti shared her struggles and successes with time management. Check out her experiences with, what she would describe as, the two sides of time management. Click Here for Side One. Click Here for Side Two.

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Sam B., has a tool kit for starting well in her post, Starting the Semester Strong. She did not come up with this list by doing a Google search. As an athlete, she learned time management and study skills the hard way. She practices what she preaches and she has benefited from establishing better habits.  It is so easy to get off track.

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During Fall 2015, we asked our advisors, peer advisors, and student workers for a list of study tips. If you are a senior, you might recognize some of their names. 

1. Start Studying now. Do not cram. You will learn more by not procrastinating and this will help you excel with your midterms. – John Donoghue, Assistant Director of ASC
2. Only focus on the same subject/class for 30 minutes- 1 hour and then switch subjects! – Sam Brookings, Peer Advisor
3. Use your time wisely and take care of your body. If your health is off-center your focus will not be on the books. – Mayra Raxon, Academic Advisor
4. Social studying helps! – Anita Ma, Peer Advisor
5. Breathe and be patient with yourself. Study often rather than waiting and cramming at the last minute.  – Kiara Davis, Work Study Student.
6. Examine yourself and think about when, where, and with whom you study best. I studied best in a cafeteria/coffee house/book store setting, but when working on a paper, I needed silence so the 2nd or 3rd floor of the library was my hiding place. I could never study in my dorm – never.  – Rachel Moody, Academic Advisor
7. Try your best and stay positive. You will get through this! – Krystal, Work Study Student
8. When studying- reward yourself with pre-planned break sessions. For example…”If I learn this chapter’s material, not just read it but keep full focus, receive full comprehension and ensure full confidence in my knowledge for the next 23 minutes, I DESERVE three minutes to eat an apple cider donut and check social media”. If you make it into a game, you will focus less on being overwhelmed and more on challenging yourself to learn the material without the FOMO. – Samantha Miller, Academic Advisor
9. Stay organized! Keeping track of due dates on one calendar will ensure nothing sneaks up on you! – Nicole Clause, Academic Advisor
10. Know that it is normal to be stressed right now and that this time will soon pass. Check your syllabi often. Map out your test and assignment due dates so that you are prepared. Knowing what is ahead of you really helps to lower the pressure.  –Barbara Brown, Coordinator of Advising Plus
11. Remember to take time off for yourself.  – Anonymous Work Study Student
12. Try to keep up that “first week of school” energy.  It can be easy to start to slack off in the middle of the semester.  Do something fun to celebrate getting this far, then hit the books with a renewed spark! – Amanda Parker, Academic Advisor
13. Remember that there is a bigger picture – a greater goal that you are working toward!  Do not panic, but do your best.  – Anonymous Work Study Student
14. Pace yourself! A little studying everyday goes a whole lot further than trying to cram in one night!  – Dr. JoAnne Malatesta, Director of the Advisement Services Center and Assistant Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education

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Genevieve Durso

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Making Plans Like a Boss!

Organization is key to being successful at UAlbany. Our partners in success in EOP create semester wall calendars to help you map out all of your exams, quizzes, and activities so that you can plan accordingly.  In the picture below, our Peer Advisor Diane is plotting out all of her responsibilities in many colors. She knows what it takes to be a Great Dane. Don’t learn the hard way! Make plans like a boss.

Come and get a calendar in our office TODAY.

#Peer2Peer: When Everything is Due All at Once

Hey Everyone! My name is Danielle DeAcutis and I am a junior majoring in Criminal Justice and Sociology as well as Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security, and Cybersecurity! Yes, you read that correctly, I’m triple majoring. I’m also a Peer Advisor in the Advisement Services Center, serve on the E-Board for the Albany Criminal Justice Association and I work part time. As you can tell, I have a lot of things going on most of the time. You might be wondering how I manage to do it all; balance schoolwork, responsibilities, a job and a social life. I’m going to be completely honest, it’s not easy all the time. There are days where I get overwhelmed by everything and struggle to keep up, but I’ve learned to make it work. Many students might feel like there’s no way to have it all without making sacrifices. I’m here to tell you that it’s certainly possible to be able to do it all. Here are some tips that I learned over the past few semesters that help attribute to being successful, while keeping stress at the minimum level.

Compass for Success

This morning, we tweeted a picture of the semester length planner, created by our partners in student success, the Educational Opportunities Program (EOP). This planner has been an academic life-saver to many of our students, and we strongly recommend getting one ASAP. We have them in our office. Please come and pick one up today!

Planning is just one part of being successful. Execution is the bread and butter of goal achievement,so what else do you need to be your best self this semester?

Several of our Peer Advisors, Project MyStory Ambassadors, and MyStory Bloggers have something to say about this.

I am going to highlight just a few of their posts, but I invite you to surf our blog and see what nuggets can work for you. 

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Sam B., has a tool kit for starting well in her post, Starting the Semester Strong. She did not come up with this list by doing a Google search. As an athlete, she learned time management and study skills the hard way. She practices what she preaches and she has benefited from establishing better habits.  It is so easy to get off track.

Also check out From Zero Point Five to Hero by Melissa F. and Midterms, Finals, and Due Dates by Kate E. If you are working on your senior thesis, or are on the cusp of graduating, check out Phoebe’s blog series: Trials of Non-Traditional Students. It is filled with useful information for preparing for your next steps, right now!

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Lee’s entire blog is about how he learned to succeed at UAlbany. Lee had many things working against him, and academics were quite a struggle. Hence the title of his blog: C Average Student: Struggles on the Pathway to Success.

 

 

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Jon writes about finding the best place to study. There are so many nooks and crannies on campus that you might miss if you fail to explore. For some of you, your room or suite, works like magic. You may have already
found your favorite tree, or spot in the library. Do what works for you. But if you want a fun exploration break, or need more ideas about where to study, check out this post: Where do You Study?

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Taking care of yourself is as important as taking care of your academic responsibilities. Konya shares different strategies to de-stress and self-care in her post,  Top Ten Ways to De-stress. In Addition, Check out Liz B’s 3 Research Papers & 5 Final Exams: No Partridge and a Pear Tree for Me; Leo’s Advice from a Crazy Person;

 

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I hope that these resource have been helpful. There is a Help Me! tab at the top of the page, that links to a lengthy list of academic and personal resources, available to all UAlbany students. If you do not know where to turn, feel free to come see the advisor-on-duty, available on a walk-in basis, 1pm-5pm, Monday -Friday in the Advisement Services Center.

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Written by Rachel Moody,
Academic Advisor, Advisement Services Center

 

 

 

 

7 Things to Consider Before Taking an Online Course

Like most others who consider themselves to be homebodies, you may have this strong inclination to take an online course. I don’t blame you, I as well have had and still do have this strong inclination. I’ve taken a couple online courses before and I am choosing to take a couple over this winter break. I’ve learned a lot from taking my online courses before and now believe that I’ve got a good handle on it. So here are a few things to consider before taking an online course.

Top Ten Ways to De-stress

Hey guys! My name is Konya Margai. I am a sophomore student and Peer Advisor here at UAlbany. I’m majoring in Globalization Studies with a minor in Public Health.

Stress:

 The one monster that we all experience in our college careers at one point or another. There are various reasons why you could suddenly feel stressed. It could be finals wee, the week in December and May that college students collectively dread.  You might have a lot on your plate at the moment. You might just be feeling a range of emotions that you can’t explain, and that’s okay too. Trust me I’ve been there, which is why I made a list of the top ten ways to de-stress. The next time you find yourself feeling frazzled, try some of these stress-relieving ideas:

#Peer2Peer: Food Coma to Finals

Hi everyone! My name is Samantha Sorce and I am a junior here at UAlbany. I’m majoring in Criminal Justice with a double minor in Business Administration and Communication, and I’m a Peer Advisor in the Advisement Services Center. I am here to give you some helpful tips on how to get through those dreaded weeks between Thanksgiving and Winter break.

#Peer2Peer: Where do you Study?

Looking for a place to look over your notes before the big test? Are your roommates throwing a party the night before? Can’t find anywhere to settle in the library? Look no further as you’ll learn some of the secret and not-so-secret spots for studying to ensure you get that A you deserve!

Are you ready to meet with your advisor?

Choosing classes can be stressful for students but it doesn’t have to be!

There are several steps you can take to make your transition from first semester, to second semester more fluid, stress free and exciting!

1) Surf the UAlbany Site for Intel
Whether you have a direction or not, it is helpful it look at the major descriptions and check out their requirements. Click Here for a list of our majors and if you want more information, just type the major into the search box on the page. You could look at the schedule of classes to find classes that you find interesting and check out their course descriptions. The link to the schedule of classes is located under the academic’s tab of your MyUAlbany student account, specifically under Enrollment Tools. This can help give you an idea of classes that you would potentially like to take. Bring your findings to your advisement appointment. They will help to give your advisor a better idea of your interests.

2) Meet Your MAP
The second path you can take to become more aware of your pathway through a potential major, is to take a look at a “MAP“, or Major Academic Pathway. The MAPs can be extremely helpful in seeing what a semester by semester schedule would look like in each major.

3) Self-assess and Reflect
The third way any you can help prepare yourself for your appointment is to reflect on the classes that you are either taking this semester, or have taken before. Think about the classes that you truly enjoyed, or ones that were not for you! This can help narrow interests to what you enjoy, and in turn, can help you and your advisor pick classes that will suit your specific needs and academic interests.

Being prepared for your Advisement appointment will help both you and your advisor in narrowing your interests, and will give you more options and opportunities to go forward with in the future! Be open and honest about your likes and dislikes, for this will make your next semester even more productive than the last!

Written by Elizabeth Petroski

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P.S. from Rachel Moody, Academic Advisor:

Some additional resources that you may find helpful:

• Review your Degree Audit to find out what requirements you need to fulfill for your major, minor, and general education requirements.
• What Can I Do With This Major (Awesome Website)
• The Career and Professional Development Office can help you to assess your strengths and talents, matching them with your aspirations and interests. Your advisor in ASC will use this information to help you map out an academic plan.
• The basics: How to schedule an appointment.
• If, after reading all of the above, you feel utterly unready, come anyway! We are here to help you.

Tips to Surviving Midterms

I am Gabriella DiCorato a Peer Advisor and a Junior here at the University at Albany majoring in Psychology with minors in Biology and Neuroscience.

 

It’s no secret, it’s not syllabus week anymore, you can barely find time to brush your hair let alone study for all of your upcoming exams. Midterms are upon us and the key to getting through midterms is, DON’T PANIC. Here are some tried and true steps to making it through the upcoming few weeks:

1. Know how to use Quizlet: I don’t know about you but my hand cramps up after filling in a scantron let alone writing out countless flashcards. Don’t get me wrong if writing them out helps you memorize them better that’s great, but quizlet is a great (and free) tool that lets you test yourself on flashcards helping a great deal with studying. Quizlet even lets you share your flashcards with friends making study groups even easier to navigate.
2. Don’t Procrastinate: Planning out your week, knowing when you’re going to study for which exam helps alleviate a great deal of the inevitable midterms stress. Doing a little at a time over the course of the week is going to be much more beneficial than a late night cramming session the night before the exam, trust me, I’ve tried.
3. Find a Study Space: The great part about the University at Albany being huge, is that there are countless places to find a spot to study that don’t include your room. The library most notably, with various levels of noise throughout so you can adjust to your study needs. There is also the Science Library closer to Indian Quad with the same different levels of noise and in both libraries there are “Group Study” rooms that only need the swipe of your SUNYID to rent out for a few hours. Group study rooms are a great tool if you don’t like to study alone. Grabbing a few friends and hitting the books or grabbing your study group helps you to focus on the task at hand. There is also the option of the new Massry Center for Business located right near Collins circle that has the option of the Standish living room, a more relaxed and cozy atmosphere to study in, grab a coffee and your laptop and get down to business (no pun intended).
4. Take a Break: While you’re planning out when you’ll be studying for these tests, make sure to allow time to relax and bring the focus back to you. Studying 24 hours a day is going to burn you out, take a nap, go get some food with friends, take a walk around campus, hit the gym (there are also fitness classes like yoga, spinning and insanity hosted in the phys-ed building). There are a multitude of things to do to keep your sanity during busy midterms. Usually the University hosts therapy dogs throughout the year during stressful times for students, so follow @UAlbanyGo on Instagram or twitter or keep your eye out for therapy dog sessions throughout the week (also while you’re at it, follow your Peer Advisors @ASCPeerAdvisors for registration updates and reminders). A few events coming up next week that you should take the time out to attend are:
5. Tuesday, October 18^th, 2016, 7:00-9:00 pm “Munch with your Major” will be hosted in the Campus Center Ballroom. “Munch with your Major” is an event that allows students to explore their major or minor, connect with faculty and staff and learn about coursework, research opportunities, career paths etc. Additionally there will be food, desserts might I add, as well as opportunities to win prizes, so be there, all are welcome!
6. Wednesday, October 19^th, 2016, 6:30-8:00 pm in the Dutch Quad Dining Hall Peer Advisors will be tabling for Great Dane Connections, they will be available to answer questions on registration, meeting with your advisor, how to make your schedule, etc. So bring questions if you have them!
7. Thursday, October 20^th, 2016, from 6:30-8:00 pm in Colonial Quads Flag Room Peer Advisors will be stationed again for Great Dane Connections to answer any questions you may have regarding the upcoming registration season. As much as you need to be focused on this semester you also need to be thinking about next semester so come by and see your Peer Advisors!
8. SLEEP: I know normally college kids are sleep-deprived zombies during midterms and finals but just try to get a few extra hours every night. One full sleep cycle is about 90 minutes long, that time span of a nap allows you to feel well rested. While power naps are nice to keep you sane, compiling all of them into one super 90-minute nap will likely help you in the long run and will actually help you solidify everything you just studied. Fun fact, the ability to form and retain non-emotional fact-based memories (like the ones you study for tests) is linked to slow-wave sleep (achieved right before REM sleep) which you need to sleep 60-90 minutes to achieve. Okay, maybe not “fun” but informative right?

Overall, try not to stress out too much. If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed take a mental break and don’t feel guilty for not studying during that time. While you’re at it, try not to eat Ramen for three meals a day either, you know what they say, “you are what you eat” and you WILL feel like a bowl of noodles if you don’t get proper nutrition. Just do your best and don’t procrastinate and you will survive midterms. If you look at it this way, we’re half way through the Fall semester! Good luck on your exams everyone!