i work full time and retuning back to school, i just cant get it together. please help any advice will help?

Question

i am a single mom reurning back to school and i work full time as well. i currently enrolled for 2 classes but is seems like i can never get enough time to get the reading done for both classes. it seem as if the most i can read is maybe 3 pages before i want to pass out. and the funny thing is that the books are some what interesting. i just feel overwhelmed because i feel like there is there is something some where i just not doing correctly. i dont have a social life so i know thats not where my time is going.

Answer 1

1) Seek out the student academic counseling services @ your school and find out about seminars or classes dedicated to improving reading comprehension, note taking skills & study habits.

2) The most popular method for reading textbooks is the SQ3R method: survey, question, read, recite & review.

What I try to do is to break down the reading assignments into chunks - either by chapter or topic.

Then I survey the section I'm going to read by scanning the section headings, any notes in the margin and any review questions at the end.

Most textbooks provide a chapter summary & review questions. So you can flip through the chapter to get a feel for it & read the chapter summary instead. Note the things that don't make sense to you so you can focus on them when you read the chapter.

After you've scanned & read, then review the key points. It helps to make an outline or at the very least a list of key terms & concepts to use as study guides later.

Before each lecture, scan your study guide to reinforce the material and to see if there are any questions you need to ask the instructor.

If you haven't read the material before the lecture, then be sure to take good lecture notes & keep them on hand when you do the reading. Skim the lecture notes & the chapter/section summary. Then you can decide where you should focus & where you can save time.

Links about SQ3R:
http://web.princeton.edu/sites/mcgraw/active_reading_of_textbooks.html
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newISS_02.htm
http://www.ic.arizona.edu/ic/wrightr/other/sq3r.html
http://www.studygs.net/texred2.htm

Each of these links has a different presentation. Choose the one that you like the best & print it out for reference.

Customize the methods to suit your learning style. (e.g. visual, auditory, etc.)

3) I'm a procrastinator so I compensate by using strategies like these:

- Always make time to scan the reading. Be sure you have excellent lecture notes. This way, you don't have to worry as much about the reading. Read as time permits.

- I sign up for 1 "extra" class so I can survey them & drop the one I like the least.

- I stick w/ instructors who are highly organized, present the material thoroughly & are extremely clear about course objectives/requirements.

- If there are extra credit opportunities, take them. Extra credit helps alleviate exam pressure.

- For classes that will have multiple choice tests, I usually just browse through the reading right before class. I take really good lecture notes & only use the textbook to supplement them. (i.e. use the practice questions, look up definitions, review key concepts that aren't clear from my notes)

For classes w/ an emphasis on multiple choice, reviewing lists key terms/concepts is the key. Because for multiple choice, you only have to recall & recognize concepts or ideas. The ones that don't come back right away - apply process of elimination & always answer the question to increase your odds of getting a good score.

Also, use sample tests in the textbook or previous exams the instructor may have online or in the library to practice & to determine what you need to study further.

4) Don't feel you must spend an equal amount of time on every class or every assignment. Know your strengths & weaknesses so you can use your time wisely.

Balance your classes. Don't take 2 tough classes at once. Try to take one that is challenging w/ one that's easy. If a class is really time consuming, consider just taking that one class so you can do well.

5) Find a good study partner in each class. Be each other's back up. Compare notes. If you really work well together, you can divvy up reading assignments & exchange your study guides.

Answer 2

You might want to get a job where you can work from home, or at least set your own hours. That way you could experiment with different schedules and see what works best.