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We hope you had a happy Thanksgiving holiday! Now, before you panic about those three papers & four exams coming up, read our survival tips. They're short and sweet.
Our Best Advice:
Take care of your computer & files. Please, please, please for the love of all that is holy SAVE any paper you're writing on a library computer and save it frequently. Don’t walk away from a library computer without saving your files to a thumb drive, your GoogleDocs, or emailing them to yourself (or all three). The library computers don't automatically save your work, and the TempStore drives on our computers are wiped clean every night. If you lose your work, we will want to get it back for you, but we won't be able to.
When Studying or Writing a Paper:
Avoid temptation. Give yourself the best chance at success by creating a study zone for yourself now: Before finals sneak up on you. My little brother deflated his basketball one year because he knew he wouldn't be able to finish his 15 page paper without that added incentive. I personally like the method of deleting shortcuts to games from my desktop. What this means is that I am not tempted to open a game too often because I have to go into the program menu to get to it. Whatever you decide... reduce your stress by creating a temptation free zone in your study area.
The library is a good temptation free zone...If you move into the library, we ask you to please keep the headphones low enough so they don’t drive the next person crazy and put the trash in the bins to help out our janatorial staff. The library has an added bonus: personal help from a research guru (AKA your librarian). We can save you time and frustration at the best of times, and we’ve probably had more sleep these last few weeks than you have. Walk up, IM, email, or call. We're here to help.
Secret Tip
Speak with your professors. I know sometimes it's scary approaching people in authority, but believe me... they are not cops! They want you to succeed and if you make the effort to ask for help they will come through for you. The trick is to show them what you've got as opposed to asking them to re-explain the entire semester of material. So...
- Stuck on a paper? Show them what you've written so far (even a rough outline!) and they may be able to jog your mind into a coherent argument, or maybe point you to that 5th source you need in your bibliography!
- Didn't understand a lecture? Show them the notes you took or explain what you did understand. This will allow them to "fill-in-the-blanks".
- Test studying? Outline what you've focused on to make sure you're on the right track.
Anyway you look at it, asking for help shows your professor that you are serious about succeeding in their class, and they are far more likely to help you with a question if you are proactive and come in during their office hours. Bring a pen and paper and take notes while they talk.
Last Tip
Find Rest. Cooler temperatures = more sick people. That's because we are all inside and sharing more germs. Don't skimp on your sleep. Lack of sleep leads to a lower immune system and a higher chance of getting sick. Catch those Zzz's!
Source: "Alright Brain... It's all up to you." - Homer Simpson
