1.31.17 Time Management: What time management strategies did you use last semester? How well did they work?

Last semester I didn't have what you would call strong time management strategies. One strategy I employed was taking breaks from studying to keep myself fresh and maximize my efficiency, the problem with this was that I tended to get distracted and spend more time on my breaks then I did studying. Something I also tried to institute was a multiple day study plan that built on each day leading the exam, the problem with this would be that I would slack off on the most distant study days and would still cram the day and night before.

When considering mindsets, I would say that I have a fixed mindset with a tendency to be a growth mindset. I try to always keep a growth mindset as I go through my week but I usually find myself slipping back into a fixed mindset. This is a constant battle that I wage everyday. When things are going well it is easy to be positive and stay on the right track but as I start hitting roadblocks and having challenges it is easy to fall into old ways of thinking. I think the important thing is that I recognize when I am reverting to old habits and can make adjustments based on what I observe in my thinking and behavior.

Procrastination:

Procrastination has unfortunately been a big part of my life both before and during college, but I have definitely seen it affect my life much more acutely in the last two years. After getting to school, I soon fell into a rut of extreme procrastination; I would procrastinate for an entire day and then study for two hours before taking a 7pm exam. My homework would remain incomplete until the last week of the semester. I would be finishing up a project and printing it while running late for the class for which it was due. Even non-school related thing have been put off until the last second: paying tickets, buying tickets, getting my car fixed, and everything else that was not needed to be done that instant. I think its a bad habit that takes daily practice to break and which I still am held by, yet not quite as badly now.

What did you eat for breakfast/ lunch/ dinner today? How does your diet affect how you feel?: I was very bad today and skipped breakfast on accident, I ate a taco around lunch to get something on my stomach and then at 3 had a bacon,egg, and cheese bagel. For dinner I am cooking chicken and rice. What you eat directly effects how you feel, just like how the grade of fuel you put in your car affects how it runs for the better or worse. When you eat like I did today with no breakfast you set yourself back physically and mentally as you begin to feel panicked because you are hungry and your thoughts are muddled.

As I've gone through college Ive become a much better communication with my professors. Freshman year I never talked to them at all and slowly I realized it is critical to form some sort of relationship especially in smaller classes. This year I have a good repore with all my professors and talk to them often, some of them every class. I am also making an effort to meet people in my major who are great resources for study and sharing information and ideas. My grades and confidence in my classes reflect this change.

What permanent changes have you made this semester: I have been much more involved in all my classes on a daily basis, this means I'm checking online and going to every class so I am never too far behind. Going to almost every single class means that I don't miss valuable instruction and have to make it up in the future. I also communicate more with my teachers to establish relationships as well as getting questions answered.