You asked:

It seems there aren’t enough hours in the day to do my assigned reading. Any advice?

I feel your pain. But sometimes you might have to do a little creative shuffling of your schedule to get your reading done. This may mean skipping that non-mandatory club meeting you wanted to go to or taking a pass on your favorite TV show and catching up later. The way I’ve been coping this semester is to break up my weekend by working on Saturday or Sunday. If I get a few hours of reading or can knock out at least one class’s worth on Saturday morning or afternoon, I can still have fun at night and not be so swamped on Sunday. Sticking to a routine is a really big help when it comes to getting schoolwork done.

Since most professors will hand out a syllabus with readings listed, you can keep track of how many pages you have to read and decide how much you need to get done each day. That way, you can pace yourself. Some weeks, it comes down to prioritizing and skimming. If your professor is going to call on you, it’s a good idea to read that assignment. If you are in a 300-person class, maybe skip that reading for a day and catch up on the weekend. Skimming is also a valuable skill to have. If you can read quickly and get the main idea, it might be enough to get you through. Figure out which classes are a priority and which can be left for a less busy time. Just don’t forget to catch up on the readings you skip, or test times will be terrible!  

Name: Liz Cruger
School: College of William and Mary
Year: Senior
Major: Psychology and English lit
Her deal: This is Liz’s second year as an R.A. for freshmen. She is also involved in several campus activities, including pep band and the belly dance club.

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