Academics & Studying – Page 16

January 18, 2018January 18, 2018

I feel hopeless trying to figure out what I want to major in. Any tips?

Will your head explode if I told you this was a good thing? College is the time to sort things out, and the process you’re going through is part of you becoming the person you are meant to be. it’s not always linear, and you may change your mind; your major is not your career – it’s not even very likely your first job; and there are probably many majors that would work out fine for you. Major advice from the Advising Center (bit.ly/AdvisingCtrMajors); from the Career Center (bit.ly/CareerCtrMajors). Best wishes!

January 18, 2018January 18, 2018

How do I gain enough motivation to get a 4.0 here? It’s so hard. (:

Break big goals like that down into small, achievable goals (such as “will draft 3 pages of history paper today”) and focus on them. Intrinsic interest in the subject of study is also important: earning a 4.0 is already like climbing a mountain; if you’re not interested, it’s like climbing a mountain when you’d rather be sailing. Keep in mind, too, that there are many other avenues to success (and other kinds of success) to be had in college: making and keeping long-term friends, for instance, who can help support you throughout the long, successful life in store for you.

January 17, 2018January 17, 2018

NY Resolution: – get all As, – finish writing my book

Ambitious! I believe in you! You’ll have to be parsimonious with your time and attention (put strict limits on social media, tv, and games). You may also want to let friends and family know you might not be as available as usual. Go! Go! Go!

January 16, 2018January 16, 2018

New Year’s resolution: not getting a C in any of my classes

Good for you! Make a preemptive strike against bad grades, and try tutoring at the Connors Family Learning Center (bit.ly/BC-connors) before you get to the point where you’re struggling. Best wishes for a productive semester.

January 12, 2018January 12, 2018

How to become more Disciplined?

Discipline is all about getting yourself to do things you resist doing, and/or not to do things you really want to do. So, one could rephrase the question: How do I get myself to do things I don’t want to do, and not to do things I want to do? There’s a recognition implicit in these questions that what we want to do and what we really ought to do are different. So, the first thing you need to do is define your wants and oughts, and perhaps rank them. Which wants are getting in the way of which oughts? It might help also to read what psychologists have learned about deferred gratification. The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control, by Walter Mischel (BF632 .M57 2014) is a good place to begin.