Sarah Kawaguchi manages to pack more into one day than most people do in a week.
In addition to earning top grades in her rigorous academic program, she plays varsity tennis, heads up the Doctors Without Borders chapter at McGill University and volunteers with several community-based organizations. Oh, and she also hangs out with friends on weekends.
How does she find the time? EduGuide asked her to share the strategies that keep her organized.
Sarah's Top 3 Tips
If I were to give a first year student only three pieces of advice regarding staying organized in university, they would be the following:
* plan ahead
* write things down
* optimize your work environment
How to Plan Ahead
Wherever possible, I leave myself more than enough time to prepare for a midterm, write a paper or even complete a simple homework assignment. That way, if an unexpected assignment, test or extracurricular commitment comes up, I avoid having to sacrifice something in order to get everything done, and minimize stress.
Part of planning ahead also involves strategically structuring my time to maximize efficiency. In other words, if I have a philosophy paper due the same day as a biology midterm, I will always write the paper first and study biology second, so that the midterm material is fresh in my mind. (When a paper is finished, it can be set aside and even handed in early, but a midterm has to be taken on the assigned day).
However, if a tutorial for the midterm is being offered a week prior and I judge that it will be useful, I try to work on both philosophy and biology simultaneously. Starting a paper a month early may seem strange, but ultimately planning ahead allows me to be more efficient, less pressed for time, and more flexible in terms of participating in extracurricular activities and spending time with friends.
Why Write Things Down?
The value of an agenda is not to be underestimated. Not only can I keep tabs on all of the small details that I have to take care of, but I also get a global picture of my assignments, exams, meetings, and other commitments. This allows me to structure my time and again, is instrumental in planning ahead.
Writing things down has been even more important in university than than in high school. After all, one of the biggest changes for most freshmen is having final exams worth 60, 70 sometimes even 100 percent of the final course mark, while the most they were ever worth in high school was 15 or 30 percent.
Understanding exactly how much time I will have to study for each final exam, based on its weighting, allows me to start early and not have to cram everything in at the last minute.
What Kind of Work Environment Is Best?
I have experimented with various working environments in order to determine which conditions are most effective for me. Although it is a bit of a trial and error process, everyone eventually comes to understand what time of day, location, lighting, heating, etc. works best. Understanding this helps to make studying a more effective and, dare I say, agreeable experience!
Sarah Kawaguchi studies biochemistry and human genetics at McGill University in Montreal. Michelle Schira Hagerman, EduGuide's Director of Training, was her high school French teacher.