Keeping Your Academic Stride Strong
Getting through mid-term exams can be challenging. Keeping yourself in a schedule, managing the changing class delivery methods and keeping up with your assignments, amongst other things can be stressful to get straightened out. If you haven’t learned already, the key to success in college is proper time management and staying engaged in your classes. Tennessee Tech has a number of resources to ensure you are successful during your time here. Below are a few resources and tips we highly encourage you to take advantage of.
- Stay engaged in class. Staying engaged in your lectures is important to understanding the material the first
time it’s heard. If you are watching your lectures virtually, set a designated space
with no distractions to ensure you are listening and not getting distracted. Ask your
professor questions on material you don’t understand, it will let your professor know
you are paying attention, and odds are other students in the class may have the same
question!
- Reach out to your Resident Assistant or the Flight Path Program. If you live on campus, your resident assistant is a great resource to utilize. For
commuter students, the FlightPath program was created to support students throughout
their first year and beyond by providing resources and support to ensure you are a
successful student. Reach out to your RA or the FlightPath program at flightpath@tntech.edu
- Setting and Staying in a Routine. If you haven’t already, get yourself in a routine on going to bed and waking up around
the same time every day to set your internal clock, which will benefit you. Do some
self-reflection: are you an early bird or a night owl? Figure out when you can be
the most productive and schedule those times to work on assignments and to study!
- Start your mornings off right. Start your day with a good breakfast, and even a workout in the new “Burn” fitness
center! Starting your day off on a positive note will keep you alert and focused throughout
the day to be the most productive student you can be!
- Visit the Counseling Center. Your mental health as a student is just as important to your success at Tennessee
Tech as your academic achievements. The Counseling Center at Tennessee Tech is a great
asset to students with mental health issues. Students receive 12 free sessions each
academic year, so set up your appointment today at tntech.edu/counsel!
- Find an accountability partner. Find a friend in your class, or your roommate who also may have early classes or the
same exam schedule as you, to ensure you get up in the mornings and encourage you
to academically challenge yourself.
- Get a study schedule in place for exams. Put all of your exams and quizzes in your planner or calendar and set dedicated times to study leading up to them. The night before a big exam should be spent reviewing your material you already know, not learning it for the first time!
Navigating Group Projects
Regardless of your major, you are likely to encounter a group project at some point during your time at Tech. While these assignments aren’t usually a fan favorite, they do prepare you for the workforce by teaching you how to work with others and manage conflict in a group setting. To help ease the anxiety that often accompanies these assignments, here are some best practices to keep in mind:
Don’t procrastinate. You have likely heard this before, but with group projects it is especially important.
You may not know all of your group members super well, and differing personalities
and work ethics may cause issues. Therefore, getting a good jump start on these projects
will ensure you have ample time to complete them on time and according to the rubric
and navigate any hurdles that may arise.
Create a schedule. It is good practice for you to have a rough idea of which project milestones you
want to cross and at what point. If it is a semester-long project, creating a goal
each week can be helpful. A good guideline for semester-long group project milestones
is to be about halfway done around spring break. If the project is smaller and due
in a few weeks, find a good halfway date to mark in your calendar. Regardless of the
project’s length, talk with your team members and come up with some mutually agreed
upon deadlines for yourselves – this will help the project seem more manageable by
breaking it up into smaller chunks and can ensure you stay on track and avoid feeling
overwhelmed.
Assign roles in the group. To prevent one person taking on a bulk of the workload, communication is key. Suggest
setting up an initial meeting with the group to determine an assigned role to fit
each member and assign tasks accordingly. For example, if it’s a group paper, who
will be in charge of the research and writing for each section? Will one person be
the final reviewer/editor?
Address conflict. In any group project or team environment, conflict is sure to arise at some point.
Whether it’s one person not having their assigned part due on time or just not putting
in as much effort as everyone else, it’s important to address the issue up front with
the person, rather than letting it frustrate you throughout the entirety of the project.
It may be best to have one group member address the issue with the person, rather
than trying to address it in a group setting so the person doesn’t feel attacked.
Remember that open and honest communication is key, and always seek to understand
(you never know what someone may be going through). Always try to address any conflict
or issues internally within the group before getting your professor involved.
Keep Professors Updated. Whether it be to ask for feedback on the current state of the project or to discuss that another member isn’t taking their role seriously, reach out to your professor. This will also show the professor that you are engaged in their class and continually putting effort into your work.
