Written by Anita Gosevska, Class of 2023
Although it is the end of our spring semester, it is never a bad time to think about how to approach pacing our studies, especially as we schedule for next fall! I’ve taken a fiendish combination of asynchronous, synchronous, ensemble, and lesson-based classes that have required me to implement several strategies to keep track of my life and stay afloat, and I’m excited to share these strategies with you. I’ll begin with strategies for the macro level, involving long-term pacing and organizing your classes, and then move into the micro-level with strategies that can be applied to your everyday learning process.
As a precursor to diving into macro-level pacing, the most important strategy is to follow the sample schedule for your major(s)! As we have learned from the fabulous Ms. Leibowitz, straying from the sample schedule can lead to disastrous consequences if you don’t take a class you were supposed to take. However, there are ways to “hack” your scheduling process to help you along your degree.
It is helpful to get ahead on liberal arts credits and online classes. The impetus for doing so goes beyond just wanting to “get classes out of the way.” By clearing up liberal arts credits early, you can open room for extracurricular opportunities for your upperclassmen years, such as FIGS (First-year Interest Group Seminar), Aresty Research, and other opportunities that help you develop professionally, but require a significant time commitment. Although it can be enticing to take all the possible liberal arts and online classes at once, it’s crucial to still spread out the extra load since even pacing will prevent sudden burnout. Also, be realistic; if you know you’re taking on too much, don’t feel pressured to overwhelm yourself. In some cases, such as in double majors, it’s simply impossible to get ahead on liberal arts, and that’s okay. Although it is helpful, it is still possible to take part in other opportunities during your college career even if you still have a full class load throughout the entire span of your degree.
Another strategy that anybody can use regardless of their schedule is keen organization. As we all know, degree navigator is a pain to… well… navigate. I approach organizing my schedule by downloading the sample schedule and requirements checklist from the Music Major Resources tab in Sakai. In the sample schedule, I’ve highlighted all the classes I’ve taken in one color and highlighted all the classes I’m planning to take in the next semester in another color. Doing so has ensured that I’ve been consistently fulfilling my required classes while also giving me insight into how far ahead or behind I am with my requirements. In the requirements checklist, I input my grades after each semester so that I can keep track of my progress somewhere more easily accessed than my unofficial transcript. (Music education majors, this will be especially helpful for when you submit your MEAR application, as you have to include your requirements checklist with current grades. I’ve simply continued updating it.) I also recommend hopping on course schedule planner to plan your next semester as soon as the course list is released since it is easy to overlook planning your schedule until it’s your day to schedule and you’re rushing to ensure you can enroll in the classes you wanted to. This is especially crucial for liberal arts, which tend to fill up more quickly. Furthermore, despite all these organizational techniques, continue keeping an eye on degree navigator since it is the official indicator of your progress towards completing your degree. Your own independent organizational resources can help you clear up any incongruities in the case that degree navigator isn’t quite correct (which does happen).
Moving on to the micro-level, I’ll stay on the topic of organization as this is one of the key strategies for pacing your studies effectively and efficiently:
Write your assignments down. (It goes without saying, but this is the most important strategy.)
Input major assignments for all your classes into both a calendar (to visually see when things are due) and into a list form (to prioritize what to do when). Having a “master” list of assignments for all your classes adapted from your calendar can be helpful to see your progress as the semester progresses. However, limit the assignments you write down in a planner or “to-do” list to the assignments due in a week or less, as well as the long-term assignments that should be started as soon as possible. Doing so can reduce anxiety over assignments due later on that don’t necessarily need to be started yet.
Color-code assignments to quickly determine the type of assignment it is and how difficult or time-consuming it may be to complete. For example, I color code in the following manner:
Red = written work
Green = practice (e.g., aural skills, conducting)
Light blue = reading
Dark blue = assessment/test
Keep a Google Calendar or even a paper calendar for your daily schedule (separate from your assignment calendar) so you can visualize how busy you are or will be week-to-week. Doing so can help you plan when to do work and when to take time for yourself. Some people like to input their work, meal, and leisure time, but I tend to just keep my schedule open when I don’t have class or other activities because I have internalized my habits for when to eat, work, and relax.
The next few tips are some general strategies that can help pace your studies, and I will group them by topic for easy navigation:
1. Readings: Get ahead on them! I know motivation is low sometimes, but I think of readings as a productive way to procrastinate written work that I don’t feel ready to work on, which tends to increase my motivation to do it. As you read, highlight and take notes in the margins. I prefer printing my readings, but if you’re able to highlight and take notes on your device, that’s perfectly fine as well. Also, it is helpful to briefly review the readings before the class for which they are due. I struggle with this, but it is helpful in situations when you’ve read the assigned reading a while before it is due.
2. Assignments: Be aware of larger assignments well ahead of time so you can start working on them in a timely manner. As we mentioned earlier, the list of assignments for the semester is incredibly helpful in making this easier. I also keep an “Upcoming Assignments” sticky note so I’m aware if there’s anything coming up that is high-stakes or requires corresponding with other people (e.g., interviews, group projects).
3. Online Classes: Again, keep a sticky note or other reminders to stay on top of weekly assignments. (These are the easiest assignments to forget to put in your planner, so a sticky note above your desk can remind you to update it). Again, try to bang out these assignments long before they’re due so if you do forget about one, you aren’t scrambling to finish it while you also have assignments due for your synchronous classes.
4. Practicing: I’ve struggled in this area because I tend to procrastinate practicing with my written and academic work. Therefore, it can be helpful to block out time in your calendar for practicing. Also, simply practicing at the same time every day can help maintain a routine. Furthermore, even though we’ll be returning to in-person classes, Zoom will still exist, and simply having other people on Zoom practicing on mute with you can be motivating. This can also be achieved by going to the practice rooms with your friends and practicing in adjacent rooms to keep yourselves accountable.
Finally, let’s talk about my favorite time of day: rest. First and foremost, free time does not mean you are available! Don’t feel obligated to say “yes” to every request just because it fits in a free spot in your schedule. We are not made to be “on” at every hour of the day, and if you need to take time for yourself, do not feel guilty for having to say no to somebody’s request for your time. Also, finish working at a set time at night so you can have 1-2 hours of strictly non-work time to yourself before bed to avoid “revenge bedtime procrastination” which can negatively impact your sleep cycle. Finally, nap time is, personally, my best friend and my worst enemy. It absolutely ruins my sleep cycle and I generally feel gross after BUT sometimes I’m so tired throughout the day that I can’t focus unless I sleep. The solution to this is power naps, 10- to 20-minute naps that are scientifically shown to rejuvenate us without the ugly side effects of 2+ hour naps that I mentioned earlier. I need to heed my own advice because I struggle to resist the allure of a 3-hour nap, so alarms will have to do for now.
I hope this blog has been helpful, and if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me at anita.bflatmajor@gmail.com! As you can likely tell from this article, I get a sense of satisfaction from reviewing my own strategies, and I am happy to share more details with anybody who wants them! In the meantime, I hope your finals go smoothly and you have a great start to your summer break!
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