Help for Students

Thoughts on Procrastination

Note: the first or second week in March is national procrastination week (depending on when you get to the celebration, and someone pointed out that this celebration seems to be observed later every year).

On the one hand procrastination is bad. We who have this malady (and I am one) should not keep putting off that which needs to have been done last week. On the other hand, maybe not so bad.

On the One Hand

Dr. Pier Steel teaches at the University of Calgary and is a Professor of Procrastination (are you surprised that there is such a position?). He is also the author of The Procrastination Equation: How to Stop Putting Things Off and Start Getting Things Done. In an online article he notes that some recent researchers have suggested that procrastination may have benefit in that ideas are allowed to incubate, and this process leads to more creative solutions. However, the recent research may be flawed, and Dr. Steel observes, “The bleary-eyed 3:00 a.m. crowd scrambling to finish a project will usually come up with routine, unremarkable solutions. Innovative ideas are typically built on the bedrock of preparation, which includes a laborious mastery of your topic area followed by a lengthy incubation period.”[1] Incubation is indeed valuable, but it should not be confused with procrastination.

On the Other Hand

Dr. Steel wrote an earlier article in 2011 praising the whimsical activities of Les Waas whom Dr. Steel designated “The Greatest Procrastinator in History.”[2] Mr. Les Waas worked in advertising and had a long productive career. Mr. Waas also had a subversive tongue-in-cheek side. He began by getting a large Philadelphia hotel to post signs proclaiming “Procrastinator’s Club Meeting Postponed.” He became president of the PCA (Procrastinator’s Club of America), actually acting president since they never got around to electing him. Their group chartered a bus to visit the world’s fair in New York City—the year after it closed. They became known for their 100% accurate yearly predictions, released the year following the events concerned. Dr. Steel admires Les Waas’ combination of significant professional and civic achievement with a recognition that sometimes work is not the highest priority in life.

So there you have it. A friend of mine once called me the king of “on the other hand.” On the one hand don’t procrastinate. Learn to get after the tasks at hand as promptly as possible. On the other hand, lighten up, let go; some things can and should wait. Of course, the difficulty is knowing which to do when. I suspect some of us more need to hear the message of the one hand, and the others of us need to hear the message of the other hand. Happy procrastination week, and then let’s get back to work.

For what it’s worth to my credentials as a procrastinator, I finished the original draft of this blog last December.

[1]Piers Steel, “The Original Myth: Procrastination as a Source of Creativity.” https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-procrastination-equation/201604/the-original-myth.

[2] Piers Steel, “The Greatest Procrastinator in History: Puts Off Death.” https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-procrastination-equation/201103/the-greatest-procrastinator-in-history-still-alive-puts.

Record Audio Study Notes

Everyone knows someone can see a movie or listen to an album once and then recite the dialogue or lyrics from memory. Auditory or Aural learners prefer to learn information by listening, rather than reading. One helpful way to study is to consolidate and summarize information, then record the summaries and listen to them. This is easy to do if you have an audio recording app on your phone.

Most cell phones come with an voice recorder already installed, and for most students, it will have enough features to meet their needs. For example, iPhones come with Voice Memo, which allow recording without time limits. But there are many other apps, free and paid, available for both iOS and Android devices. Below are four of the most popular.

Dictaphone lets you dictate notes and memos, as well as record lectures, seminars, and meetings. There is no limit to recording length, and you can upload recordings to Dropbox, SoundCloud, Google, Evernote, Skydrive, and Box. The recorder will pause automatically for incoming calls, and allows you to sort recordings by name, date, or size. iOS and Android. Free

Audio Memos is an easy to use audio recorder full of powerful features. There is no limit on recording length or number of recordings, and it allows for background recordings while you multitask. Sync your recordings with iCloud to access anywhere. It will pause automatically for incoming calls, and email your recordings to others. In-app purchases allow you to extend the features. Upload to Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, or Evernote, add pictures to your recordings, and edit them. Use it in lectures, meetings, and study sessions. iOS and Android. $

Voice Recorder HD is a full featured voice recorder app with unlimited recording time and background and Bluetooth recording. Email your recordings or upload to Dropbox. It will sync with iCloud and is sharable through AirDrop between two iOS devices. The app is easy to use and is good for students who need to manage multiple recordings. iOS and Android. $

Just Press Record is a simple, professional audio recorder with unlimited recording time, speech to text transcription, easy sharing, and more. Recordings are organized by date, are searchable, and sync instantly via iCloud to all your devices. It will record in the background while to use other apps, allowing you to multitask. iOS only. $$

If listening to information helps you better remember it, consider using an audio recorder app on your cell phone or tablet to make recordings you can listen to during your study sessions.

Relax, Rest, and Enjoy Winter Break

With finals over,students are ready to rest. It’s important to take time to have fun and relax so you can begin strong when the new semester starts, so here are four ways you should take care of yourself over the winter break.

Take Care of Your Physical Self

No doubt you want to have some fun during your break, but take time to get some rest and relax. You don’t want to return in January more tired than you were when you left. During the crunch of finals, many students don’t take time for meals or eat enough of the right foods. What you put into your body is important, so refuel your body by making good food choices. And, make time to exercise. While it is tempting to lay around watching movie marathons on Netflix, exercising consistently for thirty minutes three to six times a week will increase your ability to be proactive when you return to campus instead of reacting to all the outside forces around you.

Take Care of Your Brain

After all the studying and preparing you do before your finals, you may think that you just need to empty your brain for a while. What you want to do it feed it; or more specifically, feed the creative side of your brain. Let’s face it; almost all your finals required you to use the left side of your brain. You had to practice logical thinking, accuracy, and analysis, and all that brain work has left you exhausted. To refresh your brain do something creative. Read a book, just for fun. Write in your journal, or blog, or just a letter to a friend or family member. Paint something, take some pictures, build in Minecraft, sing and dance, or play some video games. Do something that requires you to be intuitive, subjective, random, and creative. Rest the left side and enjoy engaging the right side of your brain.

Take Care of Your Spirit

Taking care of your spirit means to reconnect to your value system and the things that inspire you. This is a very personal form of renewal and people do it very differently. Some people immerse themselves in distinguished literature or surround themselves with great music. Others head outdoors to communicate with nature. Still others refresh their spirit through prayer and meditation. Whatever method you use, take the time to reconnect and recommit yourself to those things that inspire and uplift you.

Take Care of Your Emotional Self

Take some time to heal after the stress of finals. Spend time with people you enjoy: with family and friends who make you feel loved and secure. Perform at least one act of service, especially an act of anonymous service, where you will gain nothing more than the satisfaction of helping others. Make a difference to someone else on a small way. As humans, doing something that is meaningful and beneficial to others brings out the best in us and renews our emotional self.

You will find that the best self-care comes through finding the balance in each of these four areas. So enjoy your Winter Break, relax, and we will see you when you return in January.

Notes on Thanksgiving and Gratitude

It’s that time again. Lest we forget the holidays, TV reminds us. Already round-the-clock Christmas movies are broadcast. So it was that I recently honored Halloween by seeing “Addams Family Values.” There is a delightful send up of all the awful, unhistorical, overly sentimental, school productions of “the first thanksgiving.” Never mind that it wasn’t nearly the first thanksgiving day by European settlers on this continent. Never mind that our current celebration has wandered away from what was originally a harvest festival with gratitude to God because it looked like enough food was stored in for the winter. Many years in agrarian societies that is not a given.

The Official Thanksgiving Holiday

When President Abraham Lincoln, in the middle of the Civil War, proclaimed November 26, 1863 a federal holiday and unified the date of the celebration, he did so largely because of Sarah Josepha Hale who argued for a unified date during a period of military and political disunity. In our day the holiday has become an occasion for food, family, and football. Recently, we’ve added an economic aspect with Black Friday and Cyber Monday. For college students and faculty it has become the last short breather before finals.

Your Thanksgiving

May your Thanksgiving honor one or more of these important themes. The rancorous presidential election will be behind us. It might be good to re-unify, even with that annoying, politically wrong, uncle. Connect with your human family be it blood relatives, extended kin and in-laws, or other families of friends and associates. Think and speak gratitude to those who have enriched you. Indulge some delicious pleasure. It’s healthful to splurge once in awhile. Enjoy shopping amid the roiling crowd or at home in some cyber-boutique. Breathe, rest, and ready yourself for the sprint to the finish of finals week. Have a great Thanksgiving holiday!

Addressing Test Anxiety

You attended the lectures, took the notes, and read all the chapters. You made notecards, flashcards, Quizzlets, outlines, charts, and graphs. You stayed up late and got up early. You studied alone and with your study group. You are ready for your test. You ate a good breakfast. You know the information. You are ready. So, why is it that your heart is racing, your breathing is shallow, and you suddenly can’t remember your own name? You might be experiencing test anxiety.

What Causes Test Anxiety?

Test anxiety can come from many sources. Lack of preparation or lack of trust in your preparation, past negative experiences, pressure to perform well, competitiveness, or lack of physical well-being (like not getting enough sleep) can all contribute to test anxiety.

Let’s talk about preparation for a minute. Have you ever stayed up all night before a test cramming information? You might be able to remember some information, but exhaustion makes it even harder to understand the test questions and apply the details you’re trying to remember. Cramming information the night before a test usually made me feel like I was carrying water in my hands – it all leaked out before I could use it.

How Can You Prevent Test Anxiety?

One solution is to be better prepared. To do this, start studying as soon as new information is covered in the class. Make the time to review your notes/textbook daily. Set aside enough time the week before the exam to go over the most important topics again.

But what if you prepared well, and you still feel anxious? When this happens, try calming yourself with positive self-talk and relaxation exercises. Tell yourself: “I know that I’ve studied. I’m just going to answer each question one at a time”, and then do just that. Answer each question to the best of your ability, and come back to problematic questions at the end if you have time. Try to relax by taking a deep breath in and then exhaling slowly.

With advance preparation, positive self-talk, and relaxation exercises, I am confident that you will be able to handle any exam.

If you’d like more information about addressing test anxiety and preparing for tests, check out our On-Demand Resources or use the Academic Coaching Request to contact a Learning Specialist. If you want to talk about anxiety in general, contact the UAMS Student Wellness Program at 501-686-8408; they’re available to all UAMS students.

Online Flashcards with Flippity.net

Every student knows that there are some things in every class that you simply have to memorize and keep at the front of your mind. Although flashcards are an old fashioned idea, they are still one of the best methods for memorizing information, and technology has given them a new look and feel. One easy tool for creating flashcards is Flippity.net.

Flippity Flashcards?

Flippity.net is a free Google Sheets conversion tool for creating online flashcards from Google spreadsheets. You can create your own set, or collaborate with others to develop and share a study or review flashcard deck. Like all the apps in your Google Drive, collaboration and sharing is easy. The flashcards must be made on a laptop or desktop computer, but one published they can be access on your mobile device through your Google Drive account.

Flippity is easy to use. First, you will need to make sure you are logged into your Google account. Then, just go to Flippity.net and follow the step-by-step instructions. You can include images and video in your flashcards, but you will need to have a URL for each picture or video you wish to upload. You cannot include images that are saved on your computer, only those that are stored online. The video below demonstrates how easy it is to use Flippity to create flashcards.

Watch this video on YouTube

Flippity is a great tool that can be used for all types of content/classes. I especially like that the flashcard decks can be created collaboratively, so that groups of students can work together and maximize their study time. Just remember to complete the flashcard spreadsheet before you publish it in order to make sure everything is correct. If you are looking for a quick, easy, and free online flashcard creator to help improve your study sessions, give Flippity.net a try.

Find Help When You Need It

At some point during your time at UAMS you may need to find help. You might find yourself falling behind in your courses, experiencing financial struggles, developing health problems, or experiencing technical issues with your computer. Students often need help and there are a variety of services in place just for you. Learn about the services that UAMS has to offer. You will be more confident knowing that there are organizations waiting to provide the support you need, when you need it.

Finding Help

Below, you will find links to some of the organizations that provide services to UAMS students. Take time to browse through the list to become familiar with what the UAMS campus has to offer.

The Student Success Center

The mission of the Student Success Center (SSC) is to provide all UAMS students with educational services, programs, tools, and resources to improve their performance and achieve academic success. You can learn more about our services by clicking on the tags in the image below.

Here are a few additional resources at UAMS that are available to assist all UAMS students.

College/Program Faculty and Staff

The Colleges and Programs at UAMS often have staff available to help you with a wide variety of issues. For more information, contact your college.

College of Health Professions

College of Medicine

College of Nursing

College of Pharmacy

College of Public Health

Graduate School

Campus Life and Student Support Services

Campus Life and Student Support Services provides campus housing, plans and organizes intercollegiate activities, and oversees the student government association, intramural sports program, and student insurance. Visit the website to find out how to connect to activities on campus.

Center for Diversity Affairs

The Center for Diversity Affairs works to advance diversity, inclusiveness, equity, and cultural competency in all aspects of the UAMS mission. They are responsible for recruitment and advocacy for the admission and graduation of candidates from underrepresented minority groups. In addition, they support UAMS students from all protected and affected minority and disadvantaged groups to help them be academically successful.

Office of the University Registrar

Duties of the Office of the University Registrar include student records and enrollment for all colleges and academic programs at UAMS.

Student Financial Services

Student Financial Services is divided into two divisions to help serve the students at UAMS. The Financial Aid Office provides information and services to help students searching for different types of financial aid. The Bursar’s Office coordinates the disbursements of loans and financial aid and processes tuition payments.

Student Health Clinic

The Student Health Clinic (SHC) provides UAMS students with treatment of acute illnesses, wellness and health promotion services, and continual health education.

Student Wellness Program

The Student Wellness Program is a preventative service created to provide short term, confidential assistance for UAMS students and to find the necessary tools for students to achieve their fullest potential. Students can find help for depression, anxiety, grief, relationship conflicts, academic difficulties and numerous other issues. The service is confidential and short-term care is provided at no cost. For more information visit the website.

UAMS Library

The UAMS Library is committed to meeting the information needs of our users with responsiveness, professionalism, and effectiveness. The Library provides an attractive and secure environment that is conducive to study, work, research, and learning.

Don’t wait to find help. Learn about the services that UAMS offers to students. All of these organizations want to help you have a successful and fulfilling academic career at UAMS.