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Category: Pro-Tips

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In order to maintain a healthy school-life balance one must prioritize, self-reflect, and manage time effectively. 

Prioritization is the act of ranking activities or tasks by importance and urgency. This is an important skill to have because it allows you to allocate enough time and effort to complete your tasks. For example: if you prioritize tasks that are due soon instead of those that are due later, you will be able to meet your most pressing deadlines. 

Self-reflection helps individuals recognize what is important to them, how they work best, and what their goals are. Using this information, you can make sure to incorporate the things you enjoy into your day while also scheduling the things you need to do for school or for other commitments. By reflecting on what matters to you, you can make sure your days align with your priorities, and are planned with your goals and work habits in mind. 

Time management skills will help you balance personal and academic priorities using tools such as a Priority Matrix. Being organized, designating time in the day for planning purposes, using a to-do list, and focusing on one task at a time can help you become more effective at doing so. 

To become better at prioritization, self-reflection, and time management, please visit the resources linked at the bottom of the page and read on below for the perspectives of students who have been able to successfully maintain balance.  

Tanaka (‘25) is a student and talented musician here at Dartmouth. In order to keep up with her school work, extracurriculars, and social commitments, she schedules her weeks to optimize balance. On the weekdays, she suggests being as productive as possible so that on the weekend, you can have the chance to relax. Tanaka likes to set Saturday as a “no-work” day so she can go outside, spend time with friends, and have fun. As a result of her time-management skills, she is able to enjoy this relaxing day and be refreshed for the week ahead. 

WISP participants Abby (‘25) and Eunice (‘25) conduct medical research on top of their classes. Eunice finds taking intentional breaks important for mental well-being and productivity. She says that “if you feel your mind closing down [after a day of studying], it’s best to close down for the night.” Abby notes that even though it is tempting to reschedule your plans to align with those of your friends, it is important to find a schedule that works for you because what is best for others might not be what's best for you. 

Robert Orben once said “Time flies. It’s up to you to be the navigator.” With time management skills, a deep understanding of what’s important to you, and self-reflection, you will be able to navigate your Dartmouth experience with greater ease and purpose. 

Resources:

The E-Guide: “Academic Success at Dartmouth”

Time Management Tips | Academic Skills Center (dartmouth.edu)

Making a Schedule | Academic Skills Center (dartmouth.edu)

Planners and Outlines | Academic Skills Center (dartmouth.edu)

Online Calendars | Academic Skills Center (dartmouth.edu)

Academic Success Coaching | Academic Skills Center (dartmouth.edu)

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As a college student, building relationships with professors and other staff or faculty on campus is very important. Students who take the time to connect with their professors will find themselves enriched by the experience both academically and personally. Professors and faculty have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with their students. They can provide you with additional resources if you are struggling in a class, serve as mentors, inform you of interesting opportunities in their field, and write valuable letters of recommendations for jobs, internships, and study abroad programs. Getting to know professors may seem intimidating, but it is important to remember that professors teach because they love working with students. Read on to find out about easy strategies to build relationships with professors during your time here at Dartmouth and beyond. 

Strategy #1 - Read Your Syllabus Carefully

A syllabus contains a lot of useful information. Ideally, you should read it at the beginning of the term to gain a better understanding of what the course will be like and also how the professor operates. You typically find the time and location of office hours, if X-hours are used and for what purpose, and whether there will be tutorials, recitations, or study sessions run by professors by reading it. You can also find out how the professors like to communicate with students, whether that’s through email, Canvas, or Slack. 

Strategy #2 - Engage, Engage, Engage

Students will receive many benefits from engaging with professors during class and by attending office or X-hours. However, many students don’t go to office hours because they feel a bit intimidated or don’t know what they should say. Try bringing a classmate or friend and refer to some of the talking points below to get you started. Don’t forget to say thank you when you leave!

  • Professor, I had a few questions about the material we covered in class. Could you tell me more about ___ ?
  • I’m interested in studying ___ , do you have recommendations about what classes I should take or opportunities I should be on the lookout for?
  • Professor, could we discuss my latest assignment or exam? I was wondering ____
  • I would like to understand this topic better. What additional resources would you recommend?
  • Hi Professor, could we go over the expectations for ____ assignment or exam?

Strategy #3 - Participate in the “Take a Faculty Member to Lunch Program”

Dartmouth offers students $50 vouchers to take their professors out for a meal. You can use this voucher by yourself or with two other peers to dine at the Pine restaurant or FOCO once per term. This is a great way to get to know your professor outside of class and learn more about their background, research, and other interesting topics!

For more information, visit this link: Take a Faculty Member to Lunch | Undergraduate Deans Office (dartmouth.edu)

Strategy #4 - Don’t be afraid to reach out!

Try asking questions in class, sending an email discussing your interest or inquiries about the material, and/or coming to class early/staying late to discuss something you found intriguing in the lecture. These are simple but great ways to reach out to your professor that can go a long way!

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Today’s blog post will highlight videos created by the Academic Skills Center that can guide you toward being the most productive student you can be. 

Reading Improvement

This video covers how to prepare to read by picking the best time of day and place to read, how to improve your reading rate, and strategies to improve reading comprehension. (Tip: Skip to 1:00 for the informational part of the video). 

 

Notetaking

This video covers how to get the most out of your lectures. If you actively learn in class and review immediately after class, you’ll have better mastery of the material and will save time studying outside of class!

 

Improving Memory and Retention

This video emphasizes the importance of review. Review can increase your productivity because spending small chunks of time consistently reviewing will consolidate your memory of a topic. This will prevent cramming, so you won’t have to sit down for hours and hours to study the day before an exam.

 

Time Management

The ultimate productivity tool is time management. This video will give you tips on how to best utilize your term calendar and your weekly schedule. The video explains how planners allow you to find your free time, and how you can maximize your productivity in short breaks. Lastly, the video covers goal-setting. It is always easier to find the will to be productive when you know what you’re working toward! 

 

  

 

Sleep

This video is less tip-oriented than the rest, but it acknowledges that sleep improves memory retention. If you better absorb the material, you’ll spend less time rereading and learning material because you’ll have better focus while you study! Long story short, please take care of yourself because it will pay off in the long-run!

 

Chemistry

This video covers strategies to do well in general chemistry. However, you can take these strategies and apply them to most classes, especially ones with labs.

 

Studying Foreign Language

This student-made video offers tips on how to maximize your language learning experience at Dartmouth! It has great, Dartmouth-specific tips for mastering language (however, it’s worth noting that the Tutor Clearinghouse has discontinued the Conversation Partner program).

 

As an added bonus to watching these productivity-inspiring videos, you’ll get to see the old fashion and hairstyles of Dartmouth students, way back in the day! Happy watching!

 

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In light of the current pandemic, a lot of people are moving, changing their schedules, and modifying their workstyles. Students are no exception: some of them moved back home and others live off-campus with friends. Accessing a physical space in the library and studying in an indoor public area might be difficult for lots of students. Below are some tips on how to build a personal study place:

 

1. Find a spot where you feel comfortable and productive

Everyone has different study habits and works well in distinct environments. The first step is to search for a space where you are able to focus with minimal interruptions and feel comfortable (but not too comfortable!). This place can be the table in your garden, a desk in your bedroom, home office, and so on. Be creative and don’t limit yourself to what seems like a conventional working space. Then, designate the spot mainly for work and study. In this way, you are able to train your body and mind to quickly get into work mode and focus more efficiently. 

 

2. Organize your study place 

The fastest way to keep your study spot tidy is to first remove things that will distract you. I know it is hard but being honest with yourself is the key! Have you ever had the experience of looking for supplies such as a pencil, calculator, or stapler while you are in the middle of studying and need to interrupt your studying to look for the materials? You don’t need a fancy pen holder to solve this problem. A washed jar, can, or even toilet paper rolls (just need to attach a piece of paper underneath) can do the job of keeping all your office supplies in one place, so you don’t have to spend unnecessary time finding them. 

3. Prepare a planner or calendar

Remember to have a planner or calendar with you during your study. It helps to organize your study session and prioritize what needs to be done. Some people like to write everything down in a planner or calendar; others prefer to keep track of the due dates of assignments and tests and study plans in a digital calendar. There isn't a correct or single way of doing this. It all depends on what works best for you.

 

4. Decorate the place to make it personal

You will be spending a significant amount of time in your study spot; thus, it is crucial that you like the place and enjoy being there. You may want to put some small plants, paintings, etc. in your workspace to bring some liveliness to the room. Remember these items should not be distracting or occupy a huge space.

 

5. Add some inspiration

Lastly, think about what motivates you! It can be your goals, past achievements, proudest moment, a quote, or a picture of where you want to be in the future. I know studying can be tiring and you may lose track of your purpose. Writing these things down and sticking them on walls that are visible would help clarify your goals and keep you motivated during your study time!

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I’m sure by now you know that college comes with a lot of rejections. We get rejected applying to colleges, to clubs at college, to leadership positions, to the job at Boloco, to the fancy finance internship --  you name it. Here are some tips that might make rejection easier to bounce back from.

     1. Remember, it’s usually not personal.

A rejection doesn’t necessarily mean you’re not qualified or worthy. Sometimes we just aren’t a good fit for the place we’re applying to. Think about it, would you want to work with people you don’t fit in with?  

     2.  It’s okay to feel sad, upset, or however else you feel! Your feelings are valid!

You put time and effort into your application. It’s perfectly reasonable to have grief over the rejection. Something that makes me feel better is thinking about the time I spent on an application as a proportion of my life thus far. For example, three hours spent on an application is less than 0.00002% of my life. It isn’t the end of the world!

     3. On a similar note, give yourself time to process your emotions.

If you need to cry, then cry. If you need to slap around a punching bag, do that (only literal punching bags please). Do whatever helps you process your emotions, so you can release them and focus your energy on things that bring you joy!

     4. Avoid comparing yourself to others.

Okay, so Sally from Harvard got the job, but you didn’t. Who cares what Sally’s doing? You’re the most important person in your life. Your life isn’t about the job and who they did or didn’t take, your life is about you! Focus on yourself!

     5. Figure out what skills might give you an edge.

If you keep getting rejections from the same industry and feel underqualified, it’s time to change that! Find people at the companies you want to work for on LinkedIn, network and ask them what skills you should build to put you on track for a job there! If you’re new to networking, log into Dartboard (google dartboard dartmouth, and click the first link), scroll to “Resource library,” and find their resource titled “Networking Guide.”

If you got rejected from a place like Target, it’s probably less because of skills and more because you applied for departments they didn’t need people in; don’t take it to heart. 

     6. When one door closes, another opens! 

Now that you won’t be busy with your next club officer position or internship, you’ll have time for other stuff! Step back and enjoy life, work on building skills, build your network and relationships, apply for another position if you want! The possibilities are endless!

     7. Know you aren’t alone.

Maybe you were the only applicant to get rejected from this particular club or internship, but you’re still not alone! There are plenty of other people around the world getting rejections too, and there are plenty who are the only applicants rejected from their opportunities as well! The bottom line is, you aren’t alone. There are many people in the same boat, and you’re all going to arrive safely onshore one day!