Former students tell us that the Fall semester of the junior year is
among the harder semesters, a sharp jump from the sophomore year.
One reason is that most students are enrolled in the
Algorithms and OS, each of which are challenging and
important in their own right. Sometimes, this can lead to
difficulties with time management and work commitment. The worst
possible outcome is to be tired, rushed for time, and to
resign yourself to substandard work.
The forthcoming challenge is a great opportunity to work on
a few skills that will last a lifetime. So, instead of telling
yourself that "you just need to get through this semester",
tell yourself that "this semester will build successful work-habit skills
for the future," by addressing these problems:
- Break the googling-habit.
Do you find yourself doing a search as one of the first steps in
working on a homework? Research shows that an "always on"
culture leads to short cuts, short term thinking, and shorter
attention spans. Yet, a key goal in this course is to develop
algorithmic thinking, which requires struggling
with ideas in the absence of a screen.
So, how far are you willing to go in breaking the googling habit?
- Get control over your time.
Have you taken a hard look at how you spend time? Do you work in
short bursts, switching between homework while being on social
media, while also having the TV/twitch/spotify/something-else on? When you know
you've wasted time, where does it go?
- Strengthen critical decision-making.
There are always good/fun/important things to do in lieu
of going the extra mile on a homework. It's really easy to
say "I didn't come to GW just to do homework; OK, I've done enough,
I've earned the right spend time on X now", or to say
"I'm not planning on being a coder, so I just need to pass this
course; I'll do X now".
And the X is
often an equally good experience. So, you are always caught in
bind regarding your own commitments. Are you willing to
learn the value of making short-term (one semester)
sacrifices, even to sacrifice the good X activities?
- Revel in hard-won victories.
What should be clear is that N years from now, your
course grades won't matter at all. In fact, they may not
matter a year after graduation (unless you are planning
on another degree). What will matter and
what you will carry with you is confidence in
your own ability to challenge yourself - and this
is where your experience now will help you in the future.
Thus, instead of "glad I somehow got through the semester",
your goal at the end of the semester should be
"Looking back, I'm glad I'm stronger now than when I started".
Is this easier said than done? Is this something that vaguely
sounds good but starts slipping away in the crush of the semester?
How does one deliberately go about getting to that next level?
Do you want to learn how to do this?