Starting college or university can be a challenge. High school can be quite demanding, but when moving up into higher education, the obstacles to timekeeping increase. This can leave many students feeling overwhelmed.
Time management then becomes key to getting your homework done and remaining up to date with what can feel like a tsunami of work that hits you. Take heart. Remember some of the basics from school, and keep applying these techniques as you progress, while learning others.
Listening and note-taking during lecturers
Make sure that you are well-rested and are looking after yourself properly in terms of nutrition and exercise. A good night’s rest can mean all the difference between how well you focus on lectures.
Concentrating and recalling information by taking notes while in class, is a massive time saver. Some students are even able to jot down notes a day after classes but why leave this to chance? Rather take notes as you listen in class to fill in the information you need to get your homework done well.
Using your textbooks wisely
Textbooks are required for a reason. They’re there to support your lecturers, homework and essays. Without these gems of information, completing your module will be virtually impossible. Make notes in your textbook to support your understanding of the work covered.
Using different pen colors also helps visual recall of facts and details as your mind associates specific facts with certain colors. Get creative to improve your understanding of your homework.
Visual homework instructions from your lecturer
To improve your understanding of homework requirements, ask your lecturer to write these on the board. Use your smartphone to take a photo of the instructions, and speak to your lecturer about anything you don’t understand before leaving the classroom.
In this way, verbalization and visualization contribute to cognitive understanding of what you need to do. Discussions clarify your thoughts, leading you to then produce a better-quality response to the work requested.
Don’t be scared to ask for help
If your own class teacher is not available to help you before leaving the classroom, set up an appointment to speak to him or her later. If they still aren’t available, look for another teacher who lectures on the same subject for help. If your timing and deadlines don’t coincide with their availability, speak to your classmates.
Someone is always accessible to give a hand in a tight spot to clarify your understanding of what is required. If that also fails for some reason, the internet is an excellent source of help. With searches, you are likely to get the answers you need and may even be able to speak to a real person to clear up anything you need to know.
When all else fails…
You’ve really tried everything you can to meet your commitments and deadlines. Time is running out and your other modules need urgent attention before you are behind with two modules. Now is the time to do more internet research and consider the use of an essay writing service to get the job done.
This type of service will help you to understand what was previously unclear, as professional writers with degrees in specific subject matter do the work. As an added benefit of improved understanding of your subject, you will also gain an advantage from improving your own reading and writing skills in the process.
Not understanding your homework can be an incredibly stressful situation. Acknowledging and practicing ways to increase your comprehension are available, however, to improve your experience.
Thankfully, these tips are tried and tested, so don’t lose hope. Asking for help, and learning to help yourself are the best ways to augment your journey to higher learning.