Steps to Success

Obstacles to Learning

Many students who come into my class often seem to struggle with knowing how to set themselves up for success in an academic learning environment. This is a shift that I have seen over the last year or so and I want to be very mindful of the impacts that COVID has had on the educational systems, family systems, and work environments. 

We all have a lot of obstacles to learning. These can include: Our educational background, our family culture related to the importance of school, expectations from family on how our time is spent, work expectations and cultures, our own learning style vs. the way a class is run, the class environment, and so many more...

My job as your professor is to knock down as many of those obstacles to learning as possible. My goal is to provide the most safe and effective learning environment as I can. I am here to support YOUR learning and I will do everything I can on a daily basis to provide the best learning I can. However, I can only do so much...I can't learn for you. 

Your responsibility

You have to meet me half way!

The Learning is in the Struggle!

It is extremely important to remember that Motivation is not Magical. Our brains come to every experience from a place of survival and fear. Education is a privilege, not a requirement for us to survive day to day. Therefore, you are not always (or ever) going to have some magical motivation to spend hours working on your classes. What it is going to come down to is your determination and will power and these are both skills that require practice! It is important to understand that these are skills that will be extremely valuable for every aspect of your life, not just in school.

None of us can control the future. It's a scary thought, but it's reality. What we CAN control is our response to what happens. I tell you this because in the academic world, you will need to be proactive about what is happening in the classroom if you want to be successful. 

So here's an example: Perhaps you don't do as well on an practice assignment as you thought you would (what happens) but your response can go in one of two ways: In one, you get frustrated, assume you just can't do mathematics, and you stop there. OR, you go back and study the material again, ask questions of the professor, and attempt the assignment again. I think you can all see which one practices determination and will power.

Practical Steps

So what are some steps that you can take on a practical level to implement some of the concepts I've mentioned above? What you have to shift towards is the good habits of Consistency and Discipline.

1. Create a Routine 

This routine is going to look different for every person based on their home environment, learning styles, external obligations, etc...

Spend time thinking about what would work for you: Can you work at home, or is it too busy/loud? Do you need quiet music or silence?

Try habit stacking: This means that you set your plan up so that after you do one thing, you simply move to the next. For   instance, perhaps you have dinner with your family, clean up, and you move to your desk. Or perhaps you find it is easiest to attend your classes, stay on campus and complete homework before going home. The idea is to put into place a sequence in place that your brain gets used to so that you start doing things automatically rather than having to think about it each time (like the order that you shower, brush teeth, take vitamins, go to bed...).

Actually write this down and STICK TO IT.

2. Block out Time

Choose the type of calendar that works best for you. I actually recommend a hard copy because the physical writing down can help you slow down and really think. However, if you aren't going to use it then you need to find something that will. Perhaps a google calendar or something digital would work better so you can set notifications (see mine on the home page). 

Physically set aside time every single day and stick to it. 

Research shows that having longer time periods lets you get in a "flow" with your learning. I realized this may not be possible for all of you, but do the best you can.

Research also shows that your brain only remembers things you are learning for 18-24 hours. So if you study on Monday and then don't look at the material again until Friday, it will be like you're starting over. Thus, if you can at least review material from each class every day it will help it stick longer.

3. Ignore technology

The pandemic brought to surface how our brains work when stressed. It is hard to learn when we are concerned about our health, our loved ones well-being, and financial situations. It was very easy to turn to technology to escape, binge watch a TV show, AND/OR flip through social media. NO REALLY! I can't stress enough how badly this affects both your brain and your learning. Every study done has shown negative correlations with the amount of time spent on a screen. Turn off your phone (or do not disturb), put it in a different room so you can't even see it. Same with TV. Don't have it on! 

I know how hard it is to set aside technology. You are not alone. There are a ton of hacks out there to help build healthy habbits with technnolgoy like using a Pomodoro timing system. 

    4. Boundaries

Studying is a Privilege, there are no two ways about this. Having the freedom to sit and study is not a privilege that everyone has and I want you to understand I am very mindful of this fact. There are times where you will have to make really hard decisions about what your priorities are.

In some cases, you might need to set hard boundaries with friends. Perhaps they distract you from the studying you need to do even when they are supposed to be helping.

Sometimes your family may not understand what your life needs to be as a student. You may need to spend more time at the library or the coffee shop so that you can remain focused. In really hard cases I've even had some students come to the conclusion they needed to move to live with someone else.

Give yourself a break! Sometimes, school will NOT be your priority and for a very good reason. Maybe you just can't learn as much as you wanted or planned to because of external situations that you can't control. This is real life. It doesn't mean you can't be successful. Take a deep breath and realize that YOU ARE NOT YOUR GRADE. Today's system can make you feel like you've failed because you didn't get the grade you wanted, but you are SO much more than a single class, semester, or GPA.

5. Specifics for my class

Look ahead at what is coming up and put specific assignments or goals into your calendar

Some of my classes (Math 105 and 219) have projects that can't be left til the last minute. Consider your personal schedule and put specific goals/deadlines in your calendar and then STICK TO IT. You need to have a mental picture of what's ahead so that you can prepare yourself for the upcoming week, month, and course in general.

Ask me for help! It is NOT a sign of weakness to admit you are struggling. I am not a mind-reader! I need you to tell me when you need help and what you are struggling with. It is my desire (not just my job) to help you grow...Let me!