Opinion
Students know where to find distractions, stray from study habits
February 14, 2008
It’s hard to believe that it’s already second semester. I feel like I just finished moving in and organizing my stuff; however, the organization part is still a work in progress.
As a freshman, the first semester was an entirely new experience, with new friends, new living situations and a whole new level of classes and work loads. It almost seemed easier to adjust to everything last semester than it does now.
As second semester freshmen, we are no longer the same inexperienced people we were in September. Now we have about 15 completed credits, tons of crazy stories, and an understanding of everyday campus life, which we didn’t have before.
Along with this new knowledge comes an ego, which can, at times, lead to the inability to focus on the important things and put our minds back in our books.
When I started my classes last September, I had no idea what to expect. The books were larger, the classes were more intense and my planner had never been so scribbled on.
Because of this unfamiliarity, I went to the extreme and read every word in the text and took every note possible. This semester, however, is a totally different story. Since break I’ve been finding it harder to stay focused and get my old study habits back. Honestly though, who isn’t feeling like this after being able to do nothing for a whole month?
I started wondering why I’m not being as intense with my homework as I was last semester. Upon talking with some of my classmates, I narrowed the reason down to one large problem: istractions.
Of course we had tons of distractions before, but now we know exactly where to find them, and in my case, procrastinating on doing my homework longer.
One student told me that having too many casual “get togethers” available put a damper on her study time. I would be willing to bet that this is a problem for many other students here at UW-River Falls as well. I admit, it is really hard to resist closing a book and watching a movie or going to a party with a bunch of friends.
In reality, the only way to fix this problem is to stand back and look at the big picture.
Sometimes everything gets jumbled in our brains and running from the least fun is our first reaction.
Remember Falcons, we’re here to have fun, but also to work as hard as we can to achieve our goals.
So as a welcome back to campus note, I wish you all good luck; and keep in mind, the parties with still be there tomorrow.
Linda Abel is double-majoring in marketing communications and business communications with an emphasis in professional organization. In her free time she likes to dance, watch movies, hang out with friends and spend time with family.