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College
Survivor Tips
By Margie Askins
As
the Weekend and Evening College Director at Southwestern Community
College, I frequently come in contact with students who are
struggling to juggle all their responsibilities. Many have
children, jobs, and other responsibilities, and on top of
all of this, are trying to successfully reach their educational
goals at the same time. It's a handful.
Margie Askins, SCC's Director of Weekend
& Evening College
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As
an adjunct English faculty member at SCC, I also come in contact
with a variety of students--all with different skill levels
of writing and all of them with different lives. In my class
each semester, there are often a wide variety of students--
non-traditional students trying college for the first time,
younger students straight from high school, and students who
had decided to go back to college after first attempting it
years ago. Some are trying to manage their time better, others
are trying to stay focused on their classes when temptation
pulls them away and others are having a difficult time balancing
it all. In all of these cases, the bottom line is no different--all
of these students are searching for a way to reach their goals.
When
students come to me for advice, I try to give them tips--guidelines--to
help them overcome their hurdles and to direct them to the
ways in which they can indeed make their educational goals
a reality. Here are some of the tips I give them:
| 1. |
Schedule
classes at times that work well for your current lifestyle.
If day classes do not work well, go at night, or on the
weekends. Make it a priority and find time for it. |
| 2. |
See
how flexible your work may be with you. Often employers
will help you by working out a schedule for you that meet
your needs. |
| 3. |
Try
to schedule your classes close together and on the same
days so you know you will always be in class on MWF from
8-12 rather than running back and forth from campus all
day. |
| 4. |
Schedule
a time to do your studying and stick to it. If this means
you need to get up at 4 am and work for an hour each morning,
then do it. Make it a habit. |
| 5. |
Do
not overdo it. Do not take 16 hours when you are working
two jobs and have three kids. Be reasonable about your
expectations of yourself. You are only human and you can't
do it all. |
| 6. |
Ask
your family and friends for support. Have a back-up person
to pick up your child if she/he gets sick and you are
in class. Ask your friend to bring you dinner once a week,
so you have extra time to clean the house, do laundry,
or attend that club meeting. Ask your mother to make sure
you are staying on track and studying. Get support! |
| 7. |
Write
everything down. Keep a planner and plan ahead as much
as possible. If you know you have a biology test next
week, study for 20 minutes a day rather than trying to
find three free hours the night before. |
| 8. |
Stay
on top of your education and do not get buried under it.
If you are overwhelmed, regroup and re-plan. You can make
it work. |
| 9. |
Talk
to your instructors. Explain your situation, but do not
use it as an excuse. By telling them your situations,
they can help you manage your time better as well. |
| 10. |
Give
yourself as much time as you can to complete assignments.
Work on big projects early since most instructors will
give assignments ahead of time. Plan, plan, and plan some
more. |
| 11. |
When
you get frustrated, breathe and focus. Write down the
reasons why you went to college, and remember why this
is important for you to accomplish. |
| 12. |
Balance between fun and school. Seeing friends is important,
catching a movie is fun, and going to a party can be a
great experience, but you must balance this with your
education. Make your education one of your top priorities.
Realize that you can rent that movie in a couple of months
or go to the party next time, and read your psychology
notes instead. You will sacrifice things now for your
degree later. It's worth it. Keep repeating that to yourself--it's
worth it. |
When
they do learn to perform this juggling act with their responsibilities,
success comes with it. There is nothing better than having
a student accomplish a goal they once thought was a far away
unachievable dream.
Career
Focus Table of Contents - Fall 2003
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