Procrastination

Procrastination is one of the biggest problems I have. I tend to put everything before my studies even though I know that my academic life should be a priority. I actively look for distractions but at the end I regret looking for them because I end up cramming. I am a thrill seeker. I like to look for the last minute high. When I am under pressure and finish a task, I feel very satisfied and accomplished.

To see what I waste my time on, I decided to use the strategy: Time Wasters. I split the paper in half and on one side, its labeled Time Waster and the other half is labelled Avoiding Tasks. I identified my time wasters and concluded that I commit a lot of time for my social life. Meeting friends, cellphone, computer and sleep are some of my time wasters. Last week I should have been doing my math homework, CLS journal, study fot HOA exam and work on my ILL paper but instead I was more into socializing with others. Schedule a Day at a Time is another strategy I used. To avoid feeling overwhelmed with all the many assignments and exams, I decided to write a to-do list one day at a time. This strategy seems helpful. I finished my Sunday's task and I didn't feel pressured at all. This is because I created a to-do list where my assignments are not due on Monday. I am just working on my assignments earlier to avoid being overwhelmed.
Even though these strategies are helpful, procrastination isn't a easy problem to solve. I do try to put my studies before my leisure time but it is hard. I hope that I will be able to fix this problem as soon as possible.

[PROCRASTINATION] Time Waster and 10-Minute Technique

Procrastination is problematic for me. It is not easy to change the behavior since I have been procrastinating for a long time. Especially, weekends make me not do my work. I used to delay homework and study, which make me do one day before the due dates. It is not easy to see that I do homework during weekends. I have a quiz for MAT 194 coming up on this Monday, and the chapter on the quiz is what I’m really weak. Because the quiz is on Monday, I need to study during this weekend. To study for it, I chose Time Waster and 10-Minute Technique.

Time Waster strategy is to eliminate the time waster, which interrupts my study environment. First, I listed the time wasters that I use in the left column. My time wasters are napping, TV shows, laptop, interruptions, cell phone, and socializing. They always make me delay my work. Next, I described the task I were avoiding such as studying for MAT 194 quiz and completing MAT 194 quiz review sheets. After I wrote them, I realized that the two tasks caused me to use the time wasters. The time wasters caused me not to study for my pre-calculus quiz. To avoid them, I put my laptop and cell phone away from my desk. I promised myself not to nap and socialize at least this weekend, too. When I put all the interruptions away, I felt better to study, which provided me a good study environment. This environment made me study for MAT 194 quiz.

10-Minute Technique strategy is to get me started a task that must be done. First, I identified the highest-priority task, which was to study for MAT 194 quiz. Second, I decided on a day and time as 4:00pm on Saturday, April 9. Third, when the selected time arrived, I spent only 10 minutes on the task. Because the time to study was short, I could feel little bit nervous to go over the material, which made me FOCUS! After the 10 minutes, I stopped and had a break 10 minutes. After the 10 minute break, I repeated another 10 minutes to study for it. I repeated the strategy 8 times. When I finished them, it was about 7 o’clock. This means that I kept focusing on studying it about 3 hours! This strategy really worked for me. Because of the short study term, I never felt boring, but nervous. I feel satisfied with MAT quiz, and I think I can get a good grade on it.

To sum up, the effectiveness of Time Waster is that it makes me realize what time wasters interrupt me to study. I never knew that there were that many wasters prevent me from studying. Because I’m a kinesthetic learner, I needed to put the interruptions away from my desk, which reminded me not to use them. When there were only pencils, a note book, and a textbook, the new study environment made me study. I started doing the tasks I was avoiding, especially studying for MAT 194 quiz. Because of avoiding interruptions, I could focus on studying for the quiz. The reason why I chose this is that I needed something to remind me what prevented from studying and what tasks I was avoiding. It was a good chance to do this strategy. I liked the concept that I could draw some conclusions about what tasks caused me to use time wasters. It was because I was afraid of studying a lot of sections to cover. The effectiveness of 10-Minute Technique is to get me started a task that must be done. Because of the short term to study, I felt somewhat nervous. This nervousness made me concentrate on studying. The break times also made me refreshed before starting another 10 minute studying. Being a kinesthetic learner, this strategy was good to do since it made me BEHAVE. The selected time made me sit in the chair and do studying. The break also made me move and stretch, so I felt refreshed. The reason why I chose this is that I liked the concept to have the short term of studying. I had to work on the task again for 10 minutes and repeated this until the task was completed. Because I can’t focus on something, I needed this strategy to try. This made me focus on studying and complete the task!

For my pre-calculus class, MAT 194, I, now, feel satisfied enough to take the quiz on this Monday. Time Wasters and 10-Minute Technique make me focus on studying. These strategies make me never prevent from studying anymore. The two strategies work for me!

(http://www.nickpagan.com/blog/141/procrastination-the-emotional-battle/)

Motivation

Sometimes after a long day of class, many students want to go back to their room and sleep the day away. They know they have work that is due the next day, but they just don't feel like doing it. Maybe they don't know the consequences that will come to them if it is not done, or maybe they just don't really care. Most young students need some type of motivation in order to succeed. Motivation can come from anywhere. A student could be motivated for personal satisfaction, pleasing their parents, or just the fact if they get their work done, they can hang out the rest of the day. The key to being successful is being a hard worker, and usually motivation drives us to do better.

Some of the motivation tools I used were Weighing Consequences and the Course Matrix. I used Weighing Consequences for my American History and also my Statistics class. Next Tuesday, I have a Math exam and a history paper due. Both of these are a significant part of my grade, and if I don't give both of them the attention needed, my grades will suffer. Weighing the consequences allows me visually see the task I have at hand. This helps me because I am a visual and Kinesthetic learner. Being able to see what you need to do in front of you makes it a lot easier to complete the task. With weighing the consequences, I wrote down my situation and consequences that follow it. Then I wrote what the assessment was, and came up with a plan. My plan was to finish the history paper by Thursday or Friday at the latest. Then I will have the weekend and Monday night to study for the exam. Knowing the consequences I will encounter if I do not do this step properly has motivated me to divide the time evenly.

I also used Course Matrix for my American History class, as well as my Earth Science class. The course Matrix is beneficial to my style of learning because it breaks down the responsibilities that I have for each of these classes, and allows me to visually see and know my motivators for each responsibility (visual and kinesthetic). The course matrix divides the responsibility into different categories. These categories include Attending class, managing your workload, managing your time, taking effective notes, Reading effectively, and preparing for exams. My motivators for these categories come from personal benefit, needing a required GPA, and keeping my parents proud and spending their money wisely. All of these are different types of motivators that are used every day. Motivation is a key to success. If you stay motivated, you are bound to succeed.

[MOTIVATION] Exploring Awards and Academic Fears

Motivation is important to succeed or accomplish something that we want to do. Unfortunately, I was not motivated why I was attending college since my major is undecided and I didn’t know what I wanted to do in the future. This made me get poor grades last semester. I needed something to motivate me, and that’s why I chose Exploring Awards strategy. I also chose Academic Fear, so I can avoid the worst outcome in my academic field. My statistics class, MAT121, used to make me procrastinate. Attendance is not required in this class, so I sometimes really wanted not to attend. There are many temptations for this class such as not attending class, not doing on-line quiz, not studying for exam, not attending computer lab, and not handing lab assignment in. Therefore, I tried to apply the two strategies to MAT 121.

Exploring Awards strategy is to show us that rewards can be stimulus to improve our motivation. Because some rewards can’t be enough to provide motivation, I need to find the rewards that are powerful enough to improve my motivation. First, I identified the rewards in the first category, which was no-cost rewards. To think of the rewards for this category, I had to figure out which could be powerful plus no cost. Then, I decided to have more free time for this. The reason why I chose this was that I liked free time to socialize, watch TV shows, or nap. It should be applied in one week, so I could choose anything that I wanted to have in my free time. Second, I chose $100.00 to purchase anything that I want to have for the second category, low-cost rewards. I think this will motivate me a lot since I want to get a new clothing. Lastly, I chose iPad 2 for the last category. I really eager to have the new iPad, so I think it will make me study, attend classes, and do assignments every time! I should use one category of rewards for a week as this strategy instructs. I’m so excited to complete the rewards, and I can’t wait until three weeks after. Because I like the rewards, I think they will motivate me in my statistics class!

Academic Fear strategy is to make us realize that the fear is about what will happen next. I have a lot of fear: absences from classes, failed an exam, didn’t do an assignment, missed an appointment, and missed an assignment. They can make my grades poorly, so they are what I try to avoid. First, I listed three academic fears and ranked order. Because I chose to apply the strategy to MAT121, I listed three academic fears that related to the course. One of the fears is failed exam, the second one is missed an on-line quiz, and the last one is missed a computer lab assignment. Second, I chose my worst fear that described the worst thing that can happen in that situation. I chose the worst outcome as I would get a poor grade and couldn’t get an A that I was expecting in this class. Third, I described the best thing that can happen as due to all assignment is completed, I can get an A if I do well on the next exam. Last, I listed three actions what I need to do to make the best scenario happen as ask professor that I don’t understand, make a ranking priority to manage time to do assignments, and prepare for the exam at least two weeks before.

To sum up, the effectiveness of Exploring Rewards is that it makes me do motivate! I could choose what I wanted to have when I finished my work. I am still excited to get the rewards, and they motivate me attend classes, do an assignment on time, and study! Because I’m a visual learner and also kinesthetic learner, I attached the paper that rewards are listed on the wall in my room. So, I can see it every time to motivate me. I also see the paper when I was about to procrastinate. So far, I never delay any assignment, on-line quiz for MAT121. IT WORKS! The reason why I chose this is that I needed something that could motivate me strong enough. I wanted to choose rewards potent enough to provide motivation, so I can get good grades in this class. I liked the concept that I could reward myself when I accomplish my work! This strategy works for me a lot!:) The effectiveness of Academic Fear is that it makes me realize if I don’t do the work, it can cause me the poor result. Because I get afraid of the fears, I can motivate myself to do my assignment on time. Being a visual learner, I also attached the paper that academic fears listed on the woll in my room. I also see the paper when I procrastinate, and it makes me scared, which helps me not to delay any work. The reason why I chose this is that I wanted to make myself realize it will cause bad grades if I used to procrastinate. After I did this strategy, I really got a motivation why I should study for MAT121. I don’t want to fail an exam and get a poor grade. This makes me do my work on time!

For my statistics class, MAT121, I, now, know why I should study, and I have a motivation to get an A in this class. Academic Fears and Exploring Rewards improve my motivation! Because this class has a lot of work to do, I never procrastinate, but do every assignment on time. The two strategies work for me!

(http://wickedlands.net/2011/01/motivational-theory/)

Motivation

Motivation has been a big problem for me lately. I haven't felt motivated in most of my classes, but in order to do well, I had to find a way to push through that problem and do the required work regardless of my lack of motivation. The Motivation Questionnaire in the textbook was rather useful because it helped me realise what motivates me and what does not, both in college and in class. I realised that if I have friends or people that I want to see in a class, I will be more motivated to go to class. Being interested in the topic of the class also helps. Another exercise in the textbook that helped me was Academic Fears.

I had to think about what I am scared will happen in a class if I let my lack of motivation get the better of me. Then I had to come up with ways that I could make those fears not come true. This was helpful because I had to write down the exact steps that I would have to take to make these fears not come true, and it's easier for me to do what I have to accomplish when I know exactly what it is I have to do.

A Student's Memory

For most classes, the tests are memorization by definition. There are many different ways that students memorize information, depending on their learning preferences. I am a kinesthetic and visual learner. For the majority of my classes, the information is definition and terms. To study, I use flashcards and work with a partner. These flashcards allow me to memorize the information by seeing one side of the card, and then learning the definition on the back. Even by reading the flashcard to my study partner helps me remember it due to the repetition. After learning the definitions, I usually try to think of an easier that helps me remember this. This is usually by an image, or some type of acronym.

One of the strategies I used for memorizing was the Link System. The Link system is when you take a word or concept, and find something that this word sounds or looks like, and also create an absurd picture. Being a kinesthetic and visual learner, this helps me see the image or think of an acronym to memorize it easier. For my CFS 388 class (Human Sexuality), I used an acronym to help me the steps in a relationship. The steps were; Attraction, Building, Continuation, Deterioration, and Ending (ABCDEs). The acronym I made for the five steps was: A Brown Cow Drove Elephants. This helps me remember the first letter for each part of a relationship. When I took the test, I thought about that phrase and how I connected it to the five steps. I also used this in my American history class for the midterm when having to memorize many of the Presidents. I linked the different presidents and people to important things that they accomplished during their time period. The phrases helped me when it came to test time because I would recite them when looking at the person's name.

Another technique I used was Visualization. Visualization is when you write down the information you need to learn, and then draw an unusual image to remember it. This technique is perfect for me because I am able to see the the definition through a picture. When thinking about this picture on the test, I can make a definition out of it. For my Human sexuality test, I used a picture to describe the definition of the Feminist theory. I drew about 6 stick figure men and one woman to tell me that the definition is the acceptance of the male as the norm. I also used Visualization for my Earth Science class by drawing the directions of the rock faults. Remembering the directions of the arrows helped me figure out which type of fault it was.

Both of these techniques helped me learn because they allowed me to visualize the definition or think of the definition as a funny term. Memory is a key part in doing well on tests and quizzes, and using images allows me to remember more information while studying. They are the most beneficial techniques to use due to me being a Kinesthetic and Visual learner.

Memory

This week's tech assignment was based on memory strategies. For HOA 106, there is a lot to memorize such as dates, words, artists' names and their artworks. I decided to use two memory strategies for this course and these two memory strategies were Visualization and the Link System. Being a visual learner, I need to see images that would remind me of certain words that I do not know. Therefore I figured that Visualization and Link would be great strategies to help me study for HOA 106.

For Visualization, I had to create an unusual image which I could recall when the artist and his artwork appeared. Because the title of an artwork seemed to tell a lot, I just decided to draw an image that was based on the title.For example, for Jacques-Louis David's Napoleon Crossing the Alps, I drew mountains to represent the Alps. When I see mountains on the next exam, I will know that it refers to David's artwork. This strategy is helpful because by drawing unusual images, I will know it refers to something for the class. Because the images are very unusual,recalling is a easy process.

Link System is another strategy I used. For words I need to remember, I find words that sound similar to each word and then draw a picture that will help me remember each word. This strategy is helpful because when I see a word on the test, I will be able to think back of the rhyming words I thought of and relate it to that word.

Because HOA 106 is a lecture-dependent class, I used the lecture slides to help me go through these strategies. Constantly looking at each slide and trying to create an image related to each slide has helped me memorize the artists' and their artworks. Next week I have an exam for this course. I hope that during the exam, I will be able to remember and recall back to these creative images I have created.