Survival Guide to the End of the Semester

• The end of the semester can be quite a stressful time, one that students often faced by taking a cramming and sprinting approach.  Given how much work lies ahead and how hard you’ve already worked, such a strategy may actually add stress.  Here are some tips to help you get through the end of the semester with less stress and more effectiveness.
• Take stock of the work you have to do and make a flexible game plan for how you will approach it. 
- Sit down with a calendar and write out what has to be done & by what date
- Set priorities--sort tasks into "crucial," "important" and "can be let go if need be"
- Write out daily To-Do lists specifying the tasks you hope to complete (prioritized)
- If a task takes longer than expected (and some will) or if unexpected things happen (as they often do), don't spend time fretting--just adjust the game plan.
• 
Once you have made a plan, focus your mind on the tasks to accomplish each day rather than on all the work ahead of you, what your grades will be, or other future concerns. Catch yourself when you begin to focus too far ahead and remind yourself to refocus on what is immediately in front of you.
• 
Practice present mindfulness. Try to channel your full awareness into present experiences. If you are reading a history chapter, focus on what you are reading; if you are talking with a friend, focus on really listening and responding; if you're eating pizza, put your mind on the sensations of taste, smell and touch.
• 
Take several relaxation breaks each day. Stop what you're doing, stretch and belly breathe for several breaths. Or listen to a favorite CD or playlist, take a quick walk, etc.
• 
Keep some balance in your social life. While time is short, you need some social contact to sustain your energy over a two-week period.
• 
Keep some balance in your work-to-fun ratio. You probably will not have time to relax and socialize as much as you might during other times in the year, but try to find a happy medium between walling yourself off from others 24-7 and blowing off your studies.
• 
Monitor the expectations you are setting for yourself. Make sure you are setting them according to your own values, needs and goals and not getting swept up in what others are doing.
• 
Try to observe healthy life style behaviors even if you have to make some compromises during this period.
- If you can't exercise as much as you usually do, do something physical every 2 or 3 days--e. g., a half hour walk rather than your usual hour and a half workout.
- If you can't get 8 hours of sleep, try to get a steady diet of 6. Sleep deprivation impedes your ability to learn and remember.
- Even though you may be scurrying all day, make time for meals and eat nutritious, sustaining foods.

For more information: http://studentaffairs.duke.edu/caps/self-help/caps-survival-guide-end-semester

Beat Procrastination- Use The 2 Minute Rule

Entrepreneur James Clear had created a strategy that he uses to stop procrastinating called the 2 minute rule.
There are two parts:

1. "If it takes less than two minutes, then do it now."
Things like sending out a letter, responding to an email, tossing laundry in the dryer, etc. Just do it real quick!

2. "When you start a new habit, it should take less than two minutes to do."
Although this sounds silly, James explains how if you take two minutes and focus on a task, you'll end up continuing that task until it's done. For example, James says if you want to start reading, just open up a book and read one sentence. Next thing you know, you'll be three chapters deep!

Check out the article here:
http://jamesclear.com/how-to-stop-procrastinating

If you find yourself procrastinating to the point where it's seriously affecting your life, come talk to us! We are here to help! 

TEST ANXIETY: How to beat it

The biggest hurdle to conquering test anxiety is changing your thoughts. Because your THOUGHTS [worry] lead to your PHYSICAL REACTION [anxiety]

Tips:
Focus on the PRESENT, not the past or future
Try not to focus on what occurred previously ("I did poorly on the last quiz")
Try not to focus on what you predict will happen ("I'm going to fail this quiz")
Instead--Focus on what you can do NOW.

So what can you do now? The test is happening, and you don't feel prepared, causing your breathing to become more shallow and rapid, your heart beating faster, muscles tensing, and adrenaline flowing throughout your body, your skin becoming sweaty...

BUT STOP.
This is the same reaction your body has in an actual physically threatening situation, but this is the OPPOSITE response you want to have when about to take a test, causing loss of focus and concentration.

A few simple techniques:

• Mental Imagery
• Think of an event in your past that evokes a feeling of personal contentment, joy, or satisfaction, use all of your senses to reconstruct a realistic version of the event and imagine yourself in that situation: 
• What are you doing? 
• What do you hear? 
• What are you saying? 
• Can you smell or taste anything? 
• What are you feeling?
• Deep Muscle Relaxation
• Monitor your breathing, taking slow, even, full breaths originating from deep in your abdomen
• Focus on relaxing your muscles, one muscle group at a time
• Picture your muscles becoming heavy, like a wet mop, calming your body by loosening them
  
• Desensitize yourself (while in a state of deep muscle relaxation!!!)
• This refers to gradual, steady exposure to the anxiety-producing event AKA: test taking
• Break the event into small and specific anxiety-producing situations from LEAST to MOST anxiety producing:
• SOME ANXIOUSNESS: hearing the instructor announce the date of the test
• WORRY EVERY TIME: see the word test in your planner
• ANXIETY REALLY INCREASES: few days prior to the test when studying more
• TROUBLE SLEEPING: night before the test
• PEAK ANXIETY: entering the classroom the day of the test

Imagine the professor announcing the date and rehearse thought patterns that counter anxiety, "I'll prepare for this test the best I can"

REPEAT for each increased-anxiety scenario

Some other tips:

• STOP CRAMMING
• When taking the test, first write down all of the scattered thoughts in your head that you are afraid to forget, scribbling them in the margins or on the back of the test packet, clearing your head and helping you to focus! 
• Have confidence!!! You can do it!!

Source: Lipsky, Sally A. College Study: The Essential Ingredients. Boston: Pearson, 2013. Print.

How to avoid using the word 'very'- this is quite helpful!

Earn College Credits Through Working at Disney!

A Disney College Program representative from IUP will be giving a FAQ-Information-Session tomorrow night at 6pm in the Suites on Pratt ground floor Multi-Purpose Room! 

See  you there!

Remembering What You Read

Have you ever found yourself feeling relieved after reading the 50 pages assigned for class the next day?

But what about the horror that follows when you realize you can't recall a single thing you read?

Dr. Bill Klemm shares with sharpbrains.com his tips on getting the most out of that reading so you don't have to panic (or read it all again):

1. Know your purpose

2. Skim, skim, skim

3. Have the right reading mechanics

4. Highlighters and side notes are your friend

5. A picture in worth a thousand thoughts

6. Rehearse

7. Know your attention span and work within it

8. Rehearse some more

Check out the entire article here at the link below, it's really helpful!

http://sharpbrains.com/blog/2009/05/14/8-tips-to-remember-what-you-read/

Sign up for Academic Success Mentor meetings!

"But....why?"

Here's a list of SOME of the multitude of things that ASM's can help you with!

• Getting motivated
  
• Goal setting
• Time management
• Memory and studying
• Note taking strategies
• Improving concentration
• Textbook reading/marking tips
• Organization
• Maximizing productivity
• Exam prep
• Test-taking strategies
• Succeeding on finals!

"But...how?"

Stop by our office on the ground floor of Suites on Pratt in room G6 during our office hours: 

Mondays: 3pm-4:45pm (Chelsie)

Tuesdays: 12:15pm-4pm (Chelsie) 3:30-6pm (Sam)

Wednesdays: 4:30-6pm (Sam)

Thursdays: 3:30-5:30pm (Sam)

Fridays: 2:30-4pm (Chelsie)

OR-send us an email and we can set up a meeting!

Chelsie: TGRS@iup.edu

Sam: BSWR@iup.edu

Happy Spring Semester!

Welcome back or welcome to the Pratters community!

Here are some tips to make sure you start off on a good foot this semester:

• Get a planner. Or even a notebook to just keep in your pocket and jot down things so you don't remember. Smart phones work too!

• Speaking of smart phones, download some of the great apps for college students!
• Google Drive
• Keep PDFs and other documents handy on your smart phone, just download the desktop app and save them into your drive to open on your phone's app!
• Pocket
• Clip articles in the Chrome extension to then sync with your phone's Pocket app
• Evernote
• A note taking software for lists, journals, and more
• EasyBib
• Need help citing a book? Get the app and scan your books barcode and the app will generate your citation for you.
• StudyBlue Flashcards
• Flashcards are an effective way to memorize information, but making them is a headache. With StudyBlue, use text, pictures and audio to create the perfect stack of (digital) flashcards; or, search the massive database to borrow someone else's.
• Dictionary.com
• Dragon Dictation
•  Dragon Dictation uses accurate voice recognition software to let you speak and instantly see your words in text.Try this if you're in a time crunch and really need to churn out an essay; or, if you're just someone who prefers speaking over writing.
• Mint
• Mint.com is a web and mobile app that helps you keep track of your spending.
• TED
• Instant TED Talks videos

• Google Calendar
• You can sync your google calendar on your desktop to your smart phone calendar for easy access! Need help? Come visit ASM Sam in Suites on Pratt G-6