Time management key to testing well, counselor advises
by Chiayun Lo, reporter

    Students need to select the classes that will help them in the future, a NW Campus counselor advised recently.

   In Testing and Study Skills, a personal enrichment seminar, Reta Fretwell offered advice on making better grades.

   “In order to be a successful student, you need time management,” she said.

   Fretwell suggested the first step in learning to manage time is taking an 8 a.m. class and arriving on time.

   Because most of the work place starts at 8 a.m., this will help students get used to the time schedule, Fretwell said.

   Since people are more alert in the morning and wind down in the afternoon, Fretwell suggested students take more difficult classes in the morning and fun classes in the afternoon.

   Students also should pay attention to the course information document, Fretwell said.

   The document details course requirements, class policies, grading standards and assignment and test due dates.

   “Learning time management can help you organize for your success. Get others to help you become a better manager,” she said.

   Fretwell said students need to have fun from time to time to help balance their lives. However, they also need to know that right now their career is to be a college student.

   Graduation has to be their primary goal.

   Students should never underestimate the importance of grades because employers look at grades, Fretwell said.

   Fretwell said research shows that students who attend class regularly get better grades than those who do not.

   In one college study, 85 percent of the students who attended class regularly earned at least a B average.

   “Academic success begins in the classroom. The habits that characterize the successful student are regular attendance, careful preparation, active listening, a rapid and aggressive system of note taking, a brief after-class note review and full participation in discussions and group activities,” she said.

   Students cannot depend on others to take notes, Fretwell said.

   “You are the only one who knows what is important,” she said.

   “This is a very good skill students can learn to develop to help their business skills,” she said.

   Students also need to develop effective listening and note-taking skills, Fretwell said.

   People tend to think four times faster than a lecturer can speak, so students need to focus on what the teacher says in the class and to take good notes.

   Fretwell offered four steps for effective listening and note taking.

   “Before class, students need to develop a mind-set to listen. Do whatever can help you to focus on what the teacher has to say in the class, to be prepared,” she said.

   Studying before class will help students become familiar with the material and make taking notes easier.

   During the class, students should listen for the structure of the lesson and always write down whatever the teacher puts on the board, Fretwell suggested.

   After class, students should ask questions when they do not understand.

   “Periodically, review your notes to recall clues and see how much you can remember before re-reading the notes,” she said.

   Besides note taking, students also need to develop a technique for studying from the textbook, Fretwell recommended.

   The SQ3R method can help a student to develop a better study skill, Fretwell said.

   First, students should survey the material to know what the chapter is about and what general terms to watch for.

   Then questioning will help a student to understand more quickly, Fretwell said.

   Reading helps students organize the important points in the section.

   In reciting, students can use a highlighter to mark the notes, but the best way to remember and organize, Fretwell said, is writing them in the class notebook.

   Fretwell said students should form groups and review together.

   Fretwell also offered advice for essays and exams.

   Clue words are very important factors in understanding what the teachers want on essays and exams, Fretwell said.

   For example, when a question says review, students can summarize important factors with comments and criticism.

   “There are some things most instructors look for: Did the student understand the question and answer it completely? Is the answer well organized, coherent, logical? Are generalization adequately supported by facts?

   “Is the student obviously knowledgeable? Is the writing clear and understandable? Is the writing mechanically, grammatically and stylistically correct?” she said.

   During the test, students need to scan all the questions, Fretwell said.

   Students will then have an idea of how much time to spend on each question and how much each question is worth, Fretwell said.

   For fill-in-the-blank exams, Fretwell said, students should never leave a question blank.

   The best way students can improve their learning skills is to meet with their teachers during office hours, Fretwell said.