How’s it going?

• 
  
  If you’ve been relaxing and taking it easy, it’s time to focus on what you signed up for. It’s week three already. It’s so easy to lose track of time when you're having fun. A few timely questions:
  
  Are you attending all classes?
  

This is an important question because there is a clear link between attendance and results. Your success is likely to depend on you knowing what is emphasized in your lectures and other classes, your support networks: the people you know .

What else? You might need to get organised.

• Have you mapped out all your assessment tasks on a study planner?
• Have you compared assignments to see where the weighting is in terms of workload and marks?
• Have you thought about how you’re going to manage study and your job in those very busy weeks? Do you need to speak to your boss now?
• Have you put the due dates into your diary?
• If you are doing group assignments have you scheduled your planning meetings?
• If you have major exams, are you already organising your notes, readings etc into themes/topics that will be easy to revise?

There’s a lot to do and good people around you to do it with. But if organisation and networking aren'treally your thing, explore the links to resources. You might find one or two useful hints that will help you make it all more fun and more successful.

All the best,

Helen

Where is my motivation?

Have you been finding it hard to get to classes, begin your assignments, do your research? You are not alone. This is the time when students sometimes find it hard getting out of bed let alone doing the reading, thinking, writing, calculations, designs etc for your next assignments!

Sue Lintern

At Mawson Lakes Learning Connection we have wondered about possible reasons for students' lower energy for study at this time.

Some of the discussed possibilites incuded:

• 'change of weather to cooler temperatures and greyer skies' (Helen J)
• 'enthusiasm from starting a new study period has lessened' (Andrea D)
• 'there is some the hard work looming' (Sue L)

What do you think?

Whatever the reasons the lost motivation is probably not under your bed! It is however worth you doing a search for your motivation because finding it will make your study over the next few weeks much easier. Ideas for finding motivation include:

• Write down your long term goals


• Find some friends to study with


• Keep/get physically fit


• Update your Study Planners and Weekly Timetables (include time for study, work, recreation, family, friends etc)


• Reward yourself after you have completed a study task (Yes -frequently)


• check out 'Finding motivation to study'

What ideas have you found that work for you?

Email us with your suggestions and we will add them to this blog.

from clipart