Dear Jaclyn,

I’ve already started to fall behind in my classes. Do you have any tips for catching up, or for how to stay on top of your work? 

From: Stressed-Out Student.

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Dear Stressed-Out Student, 

I hear you, I’m currently replying to you just so I can procrastinate studying for a quiz. I’m one of those people who thrive under pressure, and having this skill is not necessarily a good thing. 

It’s not a “healthy” thing to do, and procrastination is still something I’m working on. But I can tell you that after years of being a student, I have developed some skills and tips to keep on top of school work and studying, while still balancing work and a social life. 

First, I always keep a day planner, or weekly planner. Depending on how busy you are, you might need to have a planner that breaks down your time by day, week or month. I use the option that has everything broken down daily, weekly, and monthly because it helps me prioritize tasks and plan for upcoming events. This also helps me balance school, work and everything else. I know it sounds daunting, but if you sit down and organize your time, you are also prioritizing your mental headspace, and taking responsibility for your time. Usually, I plan my weeks on Sundays, and my daily schedule the night before. Monthly planning just includes family events, social events and school due dates, so I can anticipate busier weeks or important exams or due dates. 

Planners are great for staying ahead of things, but what do you do if you’re already behind? 

To start, focus on catching up in one class at a time. Whichever class you have something due in first, that is the class you’re going to focus on catching up in. Now, the tricky part is not to fall incredibly behind in the other classes, but rather use the majority of your “study time” to catch up in the class that has the assignment/exam/paper due first. So if you have 4 hours of study time, use 2.5 hours focusing on the class that has something due first. Then the rest of the time toward the other classes. 

The next trick is focusing during that study time. Unfortunately, students today have the worst time focusing because we have potentially unlimited access to entertainment. So how do we resist the temptation of TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and everything else? Well, you don’t.

Instead, you use your social media time as a reward for your focus. This is where you will learn to practice restraint, diligence, and self-discipline. I use what is known as the “Pomodoro technique;” essentially it’s allotting a specific amount of time to studying, then a shorter amount of time as a break. 

Choose a fair amount of time that you know you are able to focus on studying, say 20-30 minutes, and a shorter amount of time, 5-10 minutes, for a study break. And repeat this study-break pattern until you’ve finished what you intend to study or work on. You can adjust the study time if you’re able to focus for longer, but I would suggest starting at 20-30 minutes as a study length, because really, any shorter, you probably won’t get a lot done anyway.

Finally, do not underestimate the understanding of your professors. If you fall behind in your classes due to a family emergency or crisis, or if you’re simply struggling with the material, feeling like it’s pointless to work on the class, talk to your professors. They have been through what you have, and will have good feedback as to how to catch up or what to do. In some cases they may be able to offer you extensions or opportunities to make up for grades. 

I know for a fact that professors genuinely care about their students and hope for them to do well. In my eight years of being a student, I’ve yet to meet a professor who didn’t want their students to excel. Maybe it isn’t every professor out there, but it’s a lot. 

Just remember, learning how to prioritize and organize your time is such a crucial skill to have as a University student. But also recognizing that you have control over your habits and behaviours that either hinder you or propel you. So, to my fellow stressed-out student, you can do it. I believe in you, and hopefully you will start to believe in you too. Good luck. 

TL:DR

Focus on catching up on one class at a time. Whichever class you have something due first, that is the class you’re going to spend most (not all) of your study time on. Use a day planner to schedule and prioritize your time. Talk to your professor if you’re struggling. They’re more understanding than we give them credit for.