By: Harold White
As we all know the semester is coming to a close and it can become very easy to lose focus now. Additionally, with the Thanksgiving holiday over and Christmas around the corner, I know that I am unquestionably ready to take a break from Atlanta while finishing the semester on a good note. So being able to focus and concentrate is definitely a necessity in handling daily activities from here on out. So here are 3 tips to assist with refocusing:
- Prioritize your Schedule – Make sure you set aside enough time to be able to accomplish tasks that need to be completed.
- Get a Good Night’s Rest – Yes! Although we are in college and late nights & early mornings are a part of everyone’s college experience, getting a good amount of sleep definitely helps.
- Eat a good breakfast – Nutrition is a crucial component of focus and achievement.
Many college students say they feel overwhelmed by the workloads during college matriculation at some point and not having the concentration to fulfill their responsibilities as a student is undeniably not a good thing. Without focus you can end up taking too much time to complete specified tasks or worse, not finish the task at hand at all. Upholding your focus and concentration is a major success skill that has proven to be problematic for many individuals, but is a principal characteristic we all can and should possess. So it is very important to learn how to focus more, regardless of any situation.
http://bettermarksnow.com/ten-tips-to-stay-focused-in-school/
I believe this is one of the most informative and relatable posts. People have this no-sleep mentality just to look better than most, but without sleep, they might not perform better than any.
ReplyDeleteI truly appreciate this post. In the wake of finals, students begin to get stressed out as many deadlines are quickly approaching and lose sleep due to cramming for exams. Students need to take the necessary steps that you mentioned above so they can stay sane and be as successful as they can be on their exams. With that being said, LET'S FINISH STRONG FELLAS!
ReplyDeleteAll of these ways of staying focused are great points. Staying focused at the beginning of a semester is one of the easiest things to do. Everyone is ready for the new semester and everyone wants to be on team 4.0. However, once we get to the end of the semester it becomes a whole different story. One more piece of advise I would like to give everyone in addition to those already listed is to not get lazy. If you have been doing what you need to be doing all semester keep it up and finish strong!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great blog posting. Your advice is very on point with what is required of us as students. Throughout my matriculation at Spelman I have learned a lot about my self and how far I can push my self during finals and sleep is something I can not compromise. Sleep is very important for it re-charges you for the next day's task and most people dont realize that they are less efficient when they do not get proper sleep. I would recommend that students also make a vision board. I adopted this technique from my older sister who makes a vision board for every goal she has and it usually works to her favor. Vision boards allow you to see where you want to be and how to get there through subliminal messages from a collection of pictures and words.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with this post and how to prep for the closing of the Fall 2012 semester. You can also use Dr. White's sexy seven plan which is to hydrate and eat 7 times a day. Get at least 7 hours of sleep. and workout at least 3-4 times a day which adds to 7. I believe that if you study hard and follow the sexy 7 plan then you will be prepared to finish strong.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great blog post and helps educate students on some helpful things they can do to finish the semester strong. Finals and end of semester test are generally the most stressful test a student takes and can lead to lack of sleep and frustration. This blog definitely gives great tips on ways that can minimize stress and frustration and help the student prepare for a strong finish.
ReplyDeleteI like this post because it shows how one can fully enjoy themselves and not live the stereotypical struggle life of a college student. We train ourselves to stay up late and study for hours but simple planning and managing of our time can prove more effective when it comes to getting good grades and learning .
ReplyDeleteDuring the closing of a semester, many professors tend to forget that their students have a multitude of classes that they are completing assignments for. I understand they want us to prove that we have retained the knowledge, but when you have 5 professors giving you so much time consuming work it gets extremely difficult to allocate enough time to complete everything. When reading this blog I was hoping to get tips on how to manage what may seem to be too much work at one time.
ReplyDeleteFocus is the key to success. Therefore focus is an essential part, especially at the end of the semester when it seems like there are more things to do than there is time to do them. The tips given in the post are all great ways for a person to stay focused at the end of the semester. A few more tips that would help tremendously are drink a lot of water, write everything that you have to do down so you won't forget it as easily, and set a goal that you can strive for. With all these things in mind it is a little easier to handle the impossible.
ReplyDeleteThis was a necessary post! As mentioned in a previous comment, the beginning is always the easiest. However, it's that sticky middle area when you're expected to go to lectures, interview, and still do exceptional in class. Not to suggest it's impossible, but it can become overwhelming; which is why the tips provided are so applicable. I'm excited about employing these into my life!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with this post. I sometimes find myself getting overwhelmed with the amount of work that I have and I take the no sleep approach in hopes of finishing it. In my experiences I have found that, even though I have a lot of work to get done, I work better after I have had a good nights sleep. The 3 tips that you listed are very important when trying to remain focused during the semester.
ReplyDeleteVery relevant post. With finals around the corner it's far too common for students to fold under the heavy work load. Time management and sufficient sleep are definitely good points. Focus is key to being successful during exam time. Hopefully lots of students taking MIS see this blog post.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, remember sacrifice for today to be happy later. The race is not given to the swift nor the strong but to he whom endure until the end. So finish stung then party and rest all winter break guys.
ReplyDeleteGreat, informative post encouraging us to think and plan ahead. Glad to know ya are ending the semester wisely and on good terms. Stay focused, work hard, and put to use some of the suggestions from this post. Good one!
ReplyDeleteI actually needed this post to get me through the rest of the school year. With finals coming up we all need to make sure we eat right, get some good sleep, and balance our time. Even though we feel like giving up, its almost over and we have all winter break to relax.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is a great blog post. When the semester begins to wind down I get tired but i must remain focused because of finals. Those are some very helpful tip because i know when i get stressed towards finals I typically forget to do all of those things.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great blog post that I needed. I was losing a little focus and felt overwhelm but after reading this I can see where to make some improvements. I will implement some of these skills into my everyday life such as mediating.
ReplyDeleteThis is easier said then done. With the abundance of work that is given towards the end of the semester, I feel as though sleep is not an option. Yes i understand prioritizing may help, but with so much work one must take a break and let loose at time.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this post and the helpful comments of others on how to stay focus and finish strong this semester and in life. From the two additional websites within the blog, I was able to see areas of needed improvement. Those areas included procrastination, shutting off the internet (internet surfing)while there is an important task to be completed , setting goals- well actually, following through on the goals that I’ve set, getting enough sleep- which I think is impossible but I’m working on it, exercise, and doing the five minute meditations. This could have not come at a more perfect time. Thanks Harold!
ReplyDeleteBreakfast is key. Scheduling really helps too. Finals have been kicking my butt lately and I needed to sit down and prioritize to make sure I was being the most productive possible
ReplyDeleteScheduling is definitely one of the major problems Ive noticed with myself and others when its gets late in the semester. You always tend to see the mass of last minute study parties in the library or Douglass. This post is a helpful and timely reminder of the right steps to take this week as we come to a close on the semester.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great post. I know as far as myself goes it is hard for me to stay focs at the end because im in such a hurry to be done but I must stay focus and finish strong.
ReplyDeleteI definitely appreciate this post, and agree that it is very relevant especially due to the quick approach of the end of the semester. I also, agree with the 3 tips of refocusing that he mentioned, many students fail to realize that without giving your body adequate rest and nutrition that it will eventually cause it to break down. However, sometimes, it becomes extremely hard to refocus yourself, when often times you have so much work due at the exact same time. I feel as though some teachers fail to realize the amount of work they give us, not minding the fact that we have at least 4 other classes with have work for.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very important post because many of us fall complacent to changing our self around a more dedicated system of handling our business. Stress is a non factor when you time manage correctly despite the extraneous work.
ReplyDeleteOf the three points, I would say that the first is definitely the most important. Sometimes breakfast has to be sacrificed, and the same can be said about sleep. However, if one fails when it comes to prioritizing, everything will go down hill from there. It is an essential ingredient in the recipe for success.
ReplyDeleteGreat article, and I'd like to add some pointers. The first point is to prioritize your schedule: one way a person can do this is by taking a sheet of paper, and let every other line represent a time block. On the margins of the paper label the times accordingly 8am (skip 2 lines) 9am (skip 2 lines) 10am etc. Once you have filled this up with the corresponding hours take a pen and shade in the hours in which you have class, have to eat, go to meetings, and any other fixed appointments. Now what you have is a visual of what time blocks are free and can place errands and other tasks within the time frame.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with the 3 tips that Harold had posted. You can also improve your time management by also purchasing a planner,(you should already have one before the end of the year) or by applying the way McCants explain in the post above.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Harold. Students often forget how important finals are towards your final grades. If you are able to sacrifice this week by staying in the books it will help your grades tremendously this semester.
ReplyDeleteMany people have different studying techniques but at the end of the day there is only one technique that works best for each student. Once you find that technique you will see the improvement in your grasp of the material as well as an improvement in your test results.
Im in agreeance with Harold as well. WHen we begin the semster we are so focused and eager to get hings going. But 2 months or so after the semester begins our good study habits decrease, this is what i call the valley of the semester. Your grades drop a little and we are more focused on the social aspects of college instaed of our academics. But in the end when final papers and exams are approaching we stay up all night and forgo sleep in preparation for what is a make or break situation for some of us.
ReplyDeleteAlso, look for others ways to relieve stress in addition to these methods. Everyone has their own way of doing things, but the goal is to remain relaxed and confident.
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