Study Tips and Advice

Since most of you are current or future engineering students, I’m sure you are already aware that balancing your time is a tricky, but important, issue while you are in college. You may have seen this schematic before:

Although this picture is funny, and sometimes feels painfully accurate, it doesn’t have to be the permanent situation. I believe that it’s possible to be a good student, have time for social activities, participate in clubs, and to get enough sleep (at least the majority of the time!). Below are some things that help me achieve a balanced life.

Set a schedule. I’m sure you’ve heard this one before, but I believe that one of the most important things that you can do to properly balance your time is to setup a regular schedule. Getting up at the same time every day is a great start—you can choose what time that is based on your own preferences. Some people are morning people and are capable of high-level functioning in the morning; if this is the case, it makes sense to get up early and get the majority of your difficult work done at this time. If dragging yourself out of bed before 10 am sounds like torture, it may make more sense for you to do the majority of your work at night, and to set a later wake-up time. Whatever the case is for you personally, making this a consistent part of your schedule is helpful, and to do this, it is essential that you also go to bed at around the same time. Obviously, this may not always be possible—I know things come up: difficult homework assignments that you have to stay up late to finish, a test to cram for, late nights out with great friends—but in general, trying to get to sleep around the same time every night is good habit to maintain. 

In addition to your sleeping habits, it is useful to have a general idea of the structure of your day. Obviously your classes are already on a set schedule, so it makes sense to plan your day around your coursework. If you have a two-hour break between classes, make it a point to always stay on campus during this time and be productive. If you are able to make a schedule and stick to it, you will be more efficient with your time, which will give you more time for social activities.

Focus on what you’re working on. I am as guilty as anyone else of sitting down to work on homework, and then an hour later, after checking email, Facebook, Reddit, and any other random site that catches my attention, I realize that I haven’t actually accomplished anything. When you sit down to work on something, it is a good habit to focus on getting that thing done—or at least working on it for some given amount of time (say, an hour), before you take any breaks. 

Take time to de-stress. Being an engineering student isn’t easy, and there is a certain amount of stress that comes standard with the process. It is important to be able to deal with this stress on a regular basis so it doesn’t build up and become something that you are not capable of dealing with. A great way to relieve stress is to exercise regularly—this can be any type of physical activity that you enjoy, but it is important that you like doing it so that you make it a habit. 

I hope that you find these tips helpful in your endeavors as an engineering student. Either way, I wish you the best of luck with everything that you do. 

Boiler up! 

-Denise Cruise