Updates Monday and Friday
Instructors are people too. Most people are aware of this on a cerebral level by the time they hit high school, of course – it’s pretty obvious that our teachers are not automations that shut down when the final bell rings. But teachers are people too, and they bring with them their biases and preconceptions about […]
In much of the US right now, the temperature is dipping quickly. I live in Wisconsin, and the first whispers of snow are reaching my ears while my daily commute to and from class becomes colder and colder. The cold is a problem for nearly everybody – from transportation difficulties to illness complications to the natural […]
For those of us who aren’t graduating, or have only one semester to go, it’s not unlikely that right around now you’re worrying about the semester to come. In my experience, sometimes this is super straightforward, and sometimes it’s a matter of running around like a chicken with your head cut off trying to scramble […]
Does anyone actually enjoy doing group projects? I don’t think I’ve ever met anybody who did, and it’s rare that I’ve enjoyed them myself. Unless you luck out and get a great group and are working on a project that is in and of itself great, chances are good that you’re in for some stress. […]
Let’s all be honest here: paying attention isn’t easy. For some people it’s easier than others, but most everyone eventually hits a point where they just can’t focus on their homework or their instructor anymore. It’s just human nature for the mind to wander off sometimes, whether you want it to or not. Unfortunately, losing […]
Writing is hard. People underestimate how hard it is to sit down, come up with an idea, drum up relevant research, whip up something resembling a draft, and then whip the grammar and style into the shape you want. True or not, sometimes it feels like the people who understand this the least are instructors. Whether […]
Sometimes you literally just cannot keep up. Coursework piles up and students fall behind. Classes get missed, or skipped. Maybe the work just doesn’t feel worthwhile right now. Getting out of bed gets that much harder, especially for those who already struggle. You just… can’t. With winter on its way in the northern hemisphere, these […]
I procrastinate. I procrastinate a lot. Sometimes if an important task has no due date, I’ll put it off indefinitely until something forces me to consider that it cannot wait any longer. I think that’s the “thing” with procrastination in general – our brains didn’t evolve for things like deadlines or bureaucracy. Generally, needs were met […]
In the US, the school year typically starts in August or September, so it’s unlikely that you’re thinking about any major tests or exams yet. Most study advice I’ve found assumes that people don’t study until they feel like they have to – that is, until the test date is breathing down your neck. This […]