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Expectations and Planning

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One of the biggest challenges for many first year (and beyond!) college students is balancing work, home, and academic life. Many struggles adapting to a world in which parents and guardians are not around. It is not uncommon for students to become overwhelmed with the sudden responsibilities of studying, attending class, practice, work etc., without teachers or parents’ help. Even more students must add the needs of their partners, families, and children into the mix. Staying organized and balanced can be a struggle, but it can be managed, and is critical to maintaining a positive physical, mental, and emotional state in your college career. So how do we plan? In general, college students should expect to spend 2.5-3 hours per week, per class on homework. Homework will be defined, explained, and set up differently in all your classes. It is your responsibility to make sure you are aware of each professor’s expectations, and that you know when everything is due. The time you spend outside of class on homework will vary over the semester and between courses, but it will likely include a combination of completing work to be turned in, reading, writing, researching in preparation for class discussions. 

Assignment: By the next class period, determine where/how your other professors explain and define their homework assignments and due dates. Bring these notes to class. 
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Writing Exercise: 
Draw a picture of your where do you work best, i.e.: your ideal homework environment (can be reality or fantasy. Use labels and sensory detail. Share your drawing with a small group. Share with the larger group.  In this class, you will almost always have homework, and it will always be posted/available________. 

Now, using the notes that you gathered from your other classes, how many hours do you think are reasonable for YOU plan on homework? Remember that you must give yourself adequate time to not only complete the work, but to allow for possible interruptions, printer issues, and questions.  _______hours of courses you have per week. =______hours of homework

Now, every day, you will need to sleep, eat, come to class, and do your homework. How much time do you spend doing each of these things?  Many of you might have other things that you need to do as well, (practice, child care, work, etc.). Factor in these hours. 

Flip over the ideal homework space sheet. You will find a table schedule set up for a typical 18-hour day. Start with the time you typically get up (or should get up) in the morning, and fill in the rest of the day by hours. Then use the information you gathered today (sleep, meals, courses, homework, other obligations) to create a feasible college schedule for yourself. This can help you better manage your time, your health, and your education. ☺ And, like all writing, it can always be revised. ☺ 

Conclusion: How much time should you spend? Write for a few minutes about when and where might be your best “study times,” and challenges you see in working out this schedule.

Instructors: Every 2-3 weeks start class with a “checking in” blog (which can tie into that days writing work). Something like “how are you doing today? How are you feeling about your work in this class? How are you feeling about your schedule and work thus far? What challenges have you overcome? What are you still struggling with? 
 

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