I WAS ONCE YOU! STUDY AND TIME TIPS TO INCREASE SELF-REGULATION

GOAL SELF-REGULATION You want your clients to make good grades. But even more than this... You want your clients to learn HOW TO LEARN So that no matter what they are studying-- Now and in the future— Even after they graduate— They will know how to meet the challenge of learning new things.

DEFINITION SELF-REGULATION This means that your client knows how “to take care of business” in order to achieve success. Those skills include: Setting goals Using study strategies Setting aside time Asking questions Seeking resources Taking accountability Recognizing shortcomings Adjusting plan when needed

TESTIMONY I was once you! Isn’t that exactly what you have done to achieve your own success? Testify to that! Testify that you don’t have a special “smarty pants” brain! Testify that two things were required for success: Working hard Working smart

WORKING HARD GREAT THINGS ONLY COME WITH GREAT EFFORT How do you motivate someone to work hard? What does a coach say to get the athlete to “do one more lap? One more sit up? One more bench press?” He testifies to his own story of working hard-- He testifies to the stories of other players who worked hard-- And how it paid off. Tell your story. Tell the stories of other successful clients.

WORKING SMART How do you motivate someone to use the study and time tips you suggest? Remind the client of the student who works very, very hard but does not get the desired grade. What is going wrong? He is working hard but not working smart. He is not using the strategies for 1.Making time, and 2.Studying to learn that have proven to be the most successful “glue” to get new information to stick. This student is the hamster on the wheel going nowhere.

WORKING SMART Explain that the best study and time strategies support a simple concept: You do well on tests, projects, and papers when you have pushed new information into your long term memory. That’s it! What is the glue that makes new information stick? The following time and study tips are that glue. NEW INFO!

1. MAKING TIME The research says that these time tips work! REVIEW NEW INFO RIGHT AWAY: Schedule time each night to make sense of your new notes. If you don’t review new info in 24 hours, you can forget up to 70%. BREAK IT INTO PARTS: Make a weekly plan based on deadlines in the syllabus that distributes studying for a test or preparing an assignment over the course of several days---not in one night. OVERLEARN: Schedule more time than you think you need. Most students underestimate how much practice it takes to do well.

SHOW THEM! How is this scheduling done? 1.A Planner (paper or digital) 2.Daily Lists Show the client how to use both. If you just talk about it, the student may not understand. Show them your own time system as one model. Then work with the client to put entries in his/her own planner and to make the to-do list for the day based on the syllabus. This is a great way to end every session!

2. STUDYING TO LEARN The research says that these studying tips work! Study with the intention of really learning not just memorizing and forgetting: STUDY THE LAST TEST/PAPER—This is painful! But it is the only way to find out what you tend to do wrong so you can stop doing it! MAKE IT MEMORABLE! --Make up sayings and pictures and actions that help you to memorize information. SEE THE PROFESSOR! – Impress the professor by showing your work during office hours and asking questions about it. EXPLAIN IT OUT LOUD—Stop frequently when reviewing notes/text and attempt to explain the concept to a “pretend friend”—in your own words—out loud.

SHOW THEM! How is this studying done? 1.Notes 2.Textbook 3.Graded test/paper 4.Professor Show the client how to use all four. If you just talk about it, the student may not understand. Show them your marked-up text and your notes as one model. Show them how you study a graded assignment. Practice doing these things with their own work. Talk to them about how to interact with the professor and encourage them to visit during office hours. This is another great way to end every session!

AND FINALLY—TELL THEM ABOUT OTHER AARC SERVICES! Studying often goes faster and better here! Review the website so that you are familiar with all our services: sfasu.edu/aarc

I WAS ONCE YOU! WATCH IT AGAIN