... on second thoughts, I think I’ll write this post later!
Poor jokes aside, I’m writing in the thick of exam season for myself
and members of many other degree cohorts (begrudging congratulations should you
have already finished for the year yourself!), in the midst of lecture slides,
references and notes galore (all of which I’m sure made sense at the time, if
not now!), panicking about the stacks of revision notes still to be made and
committed to memory – somehow it always feels like there’s too much to learn, with
too little time to do it in!
And yet this is an all-too-familiar feeling for many a student, be they
in high school or University, as, typically, a large amount of things to do have been left to the last minute. And, despite seemingly insurmountable odds at the
time, all things being well we’ll somehow still make it through to the next deadline,
test or exam period.
It’s a battle I find myself encountering on a daily basis and, judging
by the evidence of my fellow computer scientists and housemates as well, it’s a
mutual feeling across the student body! The urge to put things off, reasoning
that just one more minute/hour/day can’t hurt in the long-term, can often be irrepressible,
but at the moment, with exams just around the corner, the fear of failure makes
it something of a non-option.
Since I landed in Southampton at the beginning of last academic year,
I’ve found that one of the harder aspects of life to adapt to is the system of
learning which accompanies the more independent style of study in Higher
Education. I’ve written before about general tips for making the most of
lectures and the frequent guest talks on offer, particularly emphasising how
enjoyable and rewarding it can be to witness the wealth of expertise possessed
by the University’s academics for yourself – I’ll never forget the surreal
feeling of being taught a world-renowned programming language by somebody who
helped to write it!
But another variation on the learning I experienced at school was the
sharp increase in the level of self-motivation you have to apply to the act of studying
itself. Whereas in smaller classes I’d often find myself pushed by my teachers
to complete homework assignments and essays which were to be handed in at
regular weekly intervals, it’s been a more common occurrence on my course to be
set multiple assignments with deadlines five or six weeks in advance.
I was initially taken aback when the pressure I was used to was
suddenly removed and, instead, I was handed long timespans over which to work. All
of a sudden, the temptation to put assignments off, until nearer the time at
least, becomes overwhelming!
It’s amazing just how many forms procrastination can take; anything
from doing your washing-up, to tidying your room, to getting started on that
great book or TV series you’ve heard so much about (Game of Thrones is
certainly on my list – but only once I’ve reached the summer!) can suddenly
seem, however distortedly, more appealing than actually getting underway with work
in the first place. It’s only when deadlines begin to mount, and once-far-flung
dates are rapidly approaching, that you realise what’s really happened!
But now, balancing revision timetables at the end of my second year,
and with a Third Year Project (the Computer Science equivalent of a
dissertation) on the horizon, planning effective use of time has never been
more crucial. So how to battle every student’s arch nemesis: procrastination?
There are many different ways available – you’ll probably already know
of plenty yourselves! – but I personally find that regimented, self-enforced
schedules work best for me, breaking down workloads and tasks into manageable
units, and then putting aside enough time to complete that unit before allowing
myself a small break, for example setting aside an hour to complete note-taking
from two particular lectures. I also always try and have a small buffer should
I run over time – which is, of course, usually the case (sometimes, ironically,
due to procrastination)!
Furthermore, I often try to reward myself for completion of these
tasks, pencilling in spells of time off for watching a movie with flatmates or
having a quick drink with friends. It feels great sitting down at the end of a
long day knowing you’ve done enough to justify relaxing and enjoying yourself,
so I always aim to replicate that feeling and make sure that, amongst all the
work, there’s time to play as well. These are, after all, “the best days of our
lives”!
As a break, some friends and I went to Southampton’s final match of the
season
against Stoke last weekend – not the most memorable game, but we enjoyed
ourselves nonetheless!
Finally, if by the weekend you’ll have finished exams, or you’d maybe
just like to have a break, auditions for next term’s two Theatre Group shows
get underway from 6pm in the Murray Building on Highfield Campus on Saturday.
I’m on the production team for one of them, Equus,
and we’re excited to hopefully see some enthusiastic new faces – so if you’ve
ever fancied giving acting a go at some stage but never got round to it, it’s a
great chance to get involved!
Who knows? Rehearsals might just form the relaxing (and maybe even
enjoyable!) part of your student experience next semester – as they will with
mine! If I ever get around to scheduling them, that is...
Robin
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