Make Your Summer Count

As a student who has taken significant advantage of the many summer session courses that UConn has to offer, I would like to take the time to make the case for why taking a summer course may benefit you. Are you a freshman or a sophomore who struggled in a class and would jump at the chance to retake it, but do not want to fall behind? Are you a junior who still has several higher level classes to take, and are unsure if you will be able to graduate in time? Taking at least one summer session course could solve either of these problems and help build the confidence needed to relax and have a successful semester in the fall.

Taking a class during the summer at UConn often provides a different atmosphere than during the semester. There are much less distractions. Dorms are empty, nobody is walking down Fairfield Way, the weather is beautiful, and it all serves as the perfect atmosphere to relax and focus on academics. That statistics class you took at 8 AM along with 50 other people now becomes a class at noon with ten others, and the professor is relaxed and able to give you a lot more attention. This is just one example of how a class that seemed difficult or boring in the past can now become one that you find interesting and manageable.

Another benefit of taking a course in the summer is that you are allowed to be a lot more flexible with choosing the course(s) that you want. Many classes that are general education requirements are offered in multiple sessions. Many courses are also offered at UConn’s regional campuses. The only restrictions are that you must first take all prerequisite classes for a desired course.

So go ahead, check out the list of classes: http://summersession.uconn.edu/summer/ , and consider investing at least a few weeks of your summer into your UConn career. I believe that you will be pleased you did!

The Final Stretch

There’s two weeks left of class and your mind may be more preoccupied with summer plans and Spring Weekend but don’t forget that finals are right around the corner. So how are you going to make it through that final stretch so that you can kick back and relax? If you haven’t thought about it yet now is a great time to start planning out how you’re going to finish out the semester.

First and foremost, you should take a look at the rest of your semester and see what assignments, group projects and quizzes you have before the final. Try to get a head start on those things this next week so that you will be less stressed out and will have more time to concentrate on prepping for finals.

Next, take a serious look at the classes you’re taking. Which classes have cumulative finals? How much does your final count towards your final grade? Which classes have you had trouble with during the semester and which classes will take more time to study for? By answering these questions you will have a better idea about which classes will require more time and how you should divide your studying time. Also make sure that you double check your final exam schedule at http://www.registrar.uconn.edu/examinfo.html. Use all this information to prioritize your classes.

Then make a list for each of your classes of things that you feel would be helpful for studying for your exams (such as reviewing past exams, making notecards, finishing up any readings, completing study guides, outlining exam questions, etc.) Then separate them into sizable chunks and prioritize them by importance to get the most out of your studying. For example, instead of completing an entire study guide in one night split it into two or three nights. Also, remember that if you plan on creating notecards they take a long time to create and you want to make sure that you have time to not only make them but also a substantial amount of time to review them.

Once you have done all of that you can now start planning out your study schedule. I would suggest that you start as soon as possible but at the very least one week out from your exam. Plan on completing about three tasks a night, however, be aware that the later you start the more that you will have to complete per night and this could potentially create a great deal of stress.

It’s hard to come up with a plan that will suit everyone’s schedule, classes and demands but these are some helpful tips that will help you get started on the right track. If you’d like even more help with planning out your last few weeks of class the coaches at the Academic Achievement Center would be happy to meet with you and come up with an individualized plan. The center is open Sunday through Monday from 4-8pm and our friendly coaches look forward to meeting with you!