Students blog

Scheduling classes for your next semester is often stressful. From figuring out what classes qualify for your degree to finding subjects that interest you, this is just the beginning of the factors that go into scheduling. Not only that, but with “post-COVID” occurring, students now have to balance between virtual, hybrid, and in-person classes. However, here are some tips that can minimize your stress when planning for the near future.

Plan. Plan. Plan.

You should meet with your advisor to plan out the requirements that you need to graduate at your institution. It is your advisor’s job to simply answer your concerns and questions about prerequisites, degree planning, or scheduling. Having a four-year plan for graduation especially with minors or even another degree will be crucially beneficial if you want to alleviate some of the stress when registration rolls around each semester.

Be Flexible

You should not be dead set on your intended schedule. It’s always a good idea to have a backup plan in the off chance that a class fills up or there are scheduling conflicts between some of your classes. Having a few classes that interest you or are required for graduation on the back burner will allow you to avoid scrambling last minute when your scheduling window opens.

Know Yourself

This sounds like an obvious piece of advice, but this sometimes slips peoples’ minds! If you’re a morning person then look into starting classes early, but if you’re the type of student that needs an hour to “wake up” and likes to stay up late, then look into afternoon or evening classes. The last thing you would want to do is be miserable during college just because you didn’t check out all the options available to you. Not only that, but knowing that you focus better in a classroom environment than the comfort of your own space will allow you to deter from online classes and enroll in in-person or hybrid classes too.

Take a Break

Having a few breaks either throughout your days for the week or even a whole day off will allow you to use the time to work, study, or take care of any other responsibilities. You need the time to allow your brain to recharge and relax as well as minimizing the potential burn out college students notoriously tend to have during the school year.

Research Classes and Respective Professors

Professors have an impact on your learning styles, so it is best to research the different professors that teach a class that you’re taking. Getting the honest scoop from upperclassmen or friends will allow you to get a clear idea of the teaching styles from different professors.

Campus Maps are Your Best Friends

Having an idea of what buildings your classes are located in will allow you to get a general sense of how long you’ll need in between classes to travel. A rookie mistake would be for you to book classes that are back-to-back but are on opposite ends of campus. No one ever wants to be late to a class or run around in terrible weather or temperatures.
With these general tips, hopefully you’ll be able to start your upcoming semesters off the right foot with little to no worries!

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

College students spend an average of 14.1 hours a week reading assigned material. That's a lot of time and energy! Reading assignments in college can be boring and tedious, especially if the textbook is long and complicated. When I was a freshman, I remember putting aside several hours in my day to tackle assigned readings. It was even worse knowing that a lot of material on the exam would come from these readings. However, Pearson's Revel eText is designed to solve this problem! Using Revel eText enhanced my knowledge of the subject, while cutting back on my reading time. Here are a few tips for getting the most out of your Revel eText.

Tip #1: Play it out loud

By far one of the best features of Revel eText is the “audio playlist” feature. At the top right of the screen, you have the option of having the page being read aloud to you. This is super convenient and can even help you process the material better. I sometimes find myself getting distracted while I read. Listening to the audio version keeps me engaged and focused. It’s especially nice because having the text read aloud allows you to do other things, like going for a walk or doing the dishes. It saves time and lets you multitask!

Tip #2: Pop-up definitions

Another cool feature is the pop-up box with a definition when you hover over a highlighted word. I can’t count how many times I’ve had to flip to the glossary or find a dictionary just to understand a word a textbook uses. Having to search up many complex words used in a textbook can get frustrating and tedious. Not a problem with Revel! Hovering your mouse over the word gives its definition in an instant. This has helped me save so much time and energy in the long run.

Tip #3: Use the search feature

Can’t remember what page covered the Nitrogen cycle? Revel has an awesome “search” feature. Click on the magnifying glass icon to search for any word or short phrase. This makes it way easier and faster to find the information you need. As college students, we need all the shortcuts we can get. Searching using keywords can quickly find what you’re looking for.

Tip #4: Highlight

Need to make a study guide for that big exam coming up? Revel eText lets you highlight important sentences on the page with your cursor. All your highlighted sections will be saved in a notebook, which can be found at the notebook icon/section that’s labeled ‘notebook.’ After you finish your readings, all your highlighted texts will conveniently be in one spot for you to study. You can even color code them with different colored highlighters. Making a study guide has never been quicker or easier. Now, you are well on your way to ace that test!

Tip #5: Flashcards

Revel eTexts have a flashcard section, which can be found by clicking on the flashcard icon. This lets you make your own deck(s) of flashcards to test yourself. It’s like having your own little Quizlet, but even more convenient! You can highlight any piece of text you want on the flashcard, so no need to type anything out.

With these features, studying activities that used to take hours and many different resources can be done more efficiently in one place! These resources have helped me save so much time and energy while improving my grades.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

More than two decades ago, my college journey began, and I am still on that journey today. My pathway is one of heartbreak and loss, but also countless blessings. John Lennon sums it up perfectly with this quote, "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans." I hope my story will encourage students of all ages to realize their educational dreams, no matter the magnitude.

Change of Plans

After high school graduation, I was ready to take on the world. My next step...college! I was an innocent teenager with a solid plan. I would attend college, graduate in four years, and become a teacher. January 11, 2000, everything changed.

In the process of unpacking my dorm room, my Resident Assistant informed me I had a visitor downstairs. The elevator jerked to a halt and the doors slid open. I rounded the corner to find my dad standing in the lobby. He said we needed to talk. Immediately panicked, I asked if my mother was alright. "Yes," Dad said. I then learned that my older brother had been in a fatal car accident, I packed my suitcase and headed home.

I didn't have a plan, but God did. I do not believe that Darrell's passing was necessary, but his loss has served countless purposes in my life, my faith journey, and my professional development into adulthood.

Trust the Process

As a younger student, I never imagined I would be the type of person to become so engaged in my education outside of the classroom much less emerge as a leader among my peers. But after returning to school as a non-traditional student, that is exactly what happened. My first accomplishment, being accepted into the Honors College on scholarship. I became the President of The Future Teachers Club, and soon after, I was asked to mentor new Honors Students and students in the lifePATH^® Program. Currently, I have the blessing of serving as Pearson Campus Ambassador and writing this blog. Did I ever dream of being a blog author? Never! No matter your path, and it may seem arduous, trust the process. The world's most beautiful diamonds remain under pressure for billions of years before producing their ethereal glow.

Parenthood

Motherhood is a catalyst for my achievements, but raising children while working, going to school, and taking care of my home is not easy. Being a stay-at-home Mom has produced glory and if I dare say, a much stronger gut. It took time to learn how to do it gracefully. I understand the value of time, something that diminishes before our eyes. Now my children can experience their future dreams, goals, and accomplishments through my lens. I hope that my children will understand the importance of believing in themselves and holding themselves to higher standards. Every parent's dream is for their child to be successful and productive. What better way to help them achieve that dream than through modeling it myself?

The Transformation

My transformation started immediately, but I couldn't see it. After my brother's passing, I gained an unusual affinity for butterflies. Every single time I see one, I think of him. I cannot help but gasp at their weightlessness and their ability to be graceful as they appear to hop spastically through the air.

What's your dream? It's never too late to start.

"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty."

–Maya Angelou

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

A college student's To-Do list is almost never ending. Most students are in school full-time, working, and involved in extra curriculars. Making time for school and your personal life can be challenging. Creating a plan that you will adhere to for all of your responsibilities is important to mastering time management. This plan will help hold yourself accountable, and even aid in rewarding you in your achievements. Here are some tips that you can take to create a schedule that works for your daily life and allows you make time for what matters most – you!

Recognize Your Priorities

The first step to creating a schedule that encompasses work life balance is making a list of your priorities. Start with the things that are of most importance. For college students that is normally school. If possible, choose classes that will help you be your best self. If you are a morning person, create a schedule that allows you to wake up and start your day early. If you are a late riser, curate a schedule that lets you ease into your day. After classes, be sure to carve out a special time for studying. All college students know that doing work outside of class is just as important as going to class. When you carve out time to study, you don’t have to worry about trying to “make time.”

Build in Breaks

Beyond just classes, it is critical to save time for yourself and the things you like to do. Most students think they can hang with friends when they get around to it, or make time for themselves later, but unfortunately that time rarely comes. You have to make sure you make time to allow yourself to recover from handling your responsibilities.

An example work week schedule could be classes every other day from 10am-4pm. Perhaps you are involved in an extracurricular from 4-6 or want to grab a bite to eat. To end the night, you could study from 6pm-8:30pm. Make sure you are getting plenty of rest to be fueled for the next day. In between the days you have classes, you could work a part-time job or do things that interest you.

Find Accountability Partners

One of the most important steps in maintaining a set schedule is consistency. Creating the schedule is only the first part of the race, but to get to the finish line you must adhere to the schedule you created. Of course, things will sporadically occur; that is an aspect of life. However, you should do your best to make sure that you stick to your schedule. The best way this can be achieved is by informing your friends, family, and peers of your schedule. These people around you can be your accountability partners.

Sharing your schedule with your friends can also be beneficial because they can possibly match up their schedule with yours. An example of this could be grabbing breakfast together or creating a study group. The best part of accountability partners is that they want to see you succeed, so they should be aiding you in doing so. Even if you start to divert from your schedule too much by slacking off or not maintaining your priorities, your accountability partner can help you recognize this (in a respectful way of course) so you can get back to being your best self.

In order to plan your work, then work your plan, you have to be organized, committed, and have discipline. These key characteristics will help you obtain your goals and have a healthy work life balance. Creating the schedule that works best for you is important to keep you working through it. Prioritizing is important because it allows you to spend time doing the things that matter most first, then use the rest of your time accordingly. Lastly, sharing a glimpse of your day-to-day schedule with your friends, family, and peers can be extremely beneficial in avoiding distractions and making sure your “to-do” list is getting done!

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

Being a student within a Big Ten school has its perks. From the wildly supportive student body to alumni that travel from out of town to attend football games, being a part of The Ohio State University “Buckeyes” is a privilege. While traditionally colleges tend to utilize animals as their mascots, my school used Ohio’s state tree.

History

Contrary to popular belief, Brutus the Buckeye is the mascot of the Ohio State due to the prevalence of the buckeye trees found throughout the state. It wasn’t made up to be just cute and quirky. According to Ohio History Central, Native Americans in Ohio called this nut “hetuck” or “buck’s eye” and would utilize the acid from this actually poisonous nut for leather making.

In reality, the buckeye tree is considerably impractical with its smelly bark and wood that doesn’t burn well. Yet, it is a stubborn tree. The buckeye tree can grow in places where a multitude of other trees can’t be found. This has served as inspiration to many Ohio natives.

According to Ohio State’s student journalism paper, The Lantern, locals within the state referred to themselves publicly as the Buckeyes during the presidential election in 1840 when former Ohio presidential candidate William Henry Harrison won. Harrison also utilized the buckeye nut, a shiny dark brown nut with a beige tan patch in the middle resembling a deer’s eye, as his campaign symbol by wearing one around his neck. His supporters wore buttons featuring buckeyes.

Buckeyes Today

Due to the history and pride surrounding buckeye trees, Ohio State adapted this as the university’s nickname in 1950. Since then, Buckeyes have become famous beyond the state of Ohio. Today, there is a popular dessert of the same name made from rolled peanut butter dipped in chocolate, creating the similar dark brown exterior with a beige tan patch in the middle.

Despite how this strange it may sound to have a tree nut as a mascot, Ohio has great pride in the buckeye - especially that carrying one brings good luck to the person. Overall, you can’t deny how unique Ohio State is with the buckeyes when it comes to marketing and familiarity as a plethora of people across the country know of this special nut.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started!