The three tools I use with students to get a hold on the semester before it really begins.

My first semester of college, I made a mistake. Much like I had in high school, I took the weeks as they came, only looking at assignments due over the next few days or, at most, week. That worked out just fine for the first few weeks of the semester when classes were just ramping up.

And then I had my first "Hell week." A paper in one class, a test in two others, and a group presentation in a fourth.

Oh, crap!

I had to buckle down and give what felt like every waking moment to keeping up with regular assignment and preparing for these bigger to-dos. I got it all done, but I lost a little sanity and gained a couple grey hairs in the process. After that experience, I vowed never to put myself in that kind of situation again.

Looking back with older and kinder eyes, I see that this early misstep wasn't really a failing on my part. It did help me learn, grow, and develop a system that would carry me through undergrad and grad school, but I wouldn't wish the stress it created on anyone.

I realize now that, though I had good systems in high school, there were some aspects of college life and planning which I just didn't know about until I was in them, and then I had to scramble.

And over the years, I watched so many other students do the same. That's why my goal now is to arm students with the tools and skills they need to succeed before they really need them.

So, what are these tools I started using to help set up each semester for success and that I use today with all my clients?

1. Actually Reading Syllabi

I know, I know. It's not ground-breaking, and usually the whole first day of class is devoted to going over it. I know.

But I also know that I usually retained very little from that intro syllabus day in my classes because I wasn't yet in a situation where I really needed that information. Additionally, more than a few of my upper-level courses skipped syllabus day altogether in favor of more lecture time.

There were four parts of the syllabus for each class I made sure to study and really digest.

  1. The Grade Distribution - This helped me see where my grades were coming from. Worst case, if I got into a situation in which I had to let something go, I knew what I could let slide with the least impact to my overall grade. Additionally, this review helped me figure out a reasonable amount of time to devote to different assignments. For example, I recognized I probably shouldn't be spending more than five minutes on a discussion post even if I could if each post was worth less than 1% of my final grade.
  2. The "How Not to Fail" Policy - Most syllabi include a section--sometimes just a sentence--that talks about what you need to do to pass the class. For some, it's turning in every assignment. For others, only major assignments are required to avoid automatically failing the class. Knowing what I absolutely had to do for each class allowed me to assign realistic value to each of the assignments, an assessment which then helped me determine how much time and effort should be given to each and which ones I could, if absolutely necessary, let go.
  3. The Late Policy - My goal was never to need to use this, but it was always helpful to know the classes in which I had some wiggle room and the classes in which I didn't. Some classes had unique policies like a one-time two-day grace period for any assignment of your choosing, so I knew I had that in my back pocket in busy times. Learning these helped me create a last-ditch emergency safety net for myself.
  4. The Assignment Descriptions - Most syllabi include a brief overview of the expectations of the major assignments. Reading over these gave me a sense of how much effort I'd have to put into succeeding in each course. There was actually one English class where this review alone made me realize that I was going to have a miserable semester if I stayed in that class, so I switched in to a different class that ended up being one of my favorites. I knew that first class would tip the time scales too far in its own direction; I knew a shift would set me up for better success than trying to brute-force myself through that one class.

I've worked with enough students over the years to know that a fair few don't think to turn to their syllabi when they get into tight spots. That's why I always start the semester with my clients going over these aspects of each syllabus and discussing how they could be applied practically and strategically to deciding where time and focus should go during the busiest points of the semester.

2. The Semester Plan

Syllabi are great because they give you a road map of the semester at a glance. They're not so great for seeing a whole courseload's worth of work, though, because they are separate.

At the beginning of each semester, my clients and I look at the major assignments in each class--not things like readings or weekly discussion posts but the big stuff that isn't part of the normal routine--and put them into a table with a row for each week of the semester and a column for each class. We use visual cues like color coding and bolding to quickly delineate assignment types.

Once everything is in, we highlight the weeks that have a lot going on. Knowing ahead of time where those busy weeks are going to be allows us to set expectations of front-loading certain work at the beginning of the semester, so nothing is a surprise and no panic-fueled all-nighters are needed.

As we get closer to these weeks, we build our own soft deadlines, goals, and notes into the days.

3. The Weekly Plan

Time has a way of slipping away if you don't have at least a general idea of how you're going to use it. There's a general guide that every one hour spent in class results in three hours of associated work. Using this, we create a basic breakdown of an average week, creating color-coded blocks for classes, other commitments and appointments, meals, self-care (bathing, winding down before sleep, getting ready in the morning, etc.), special interests, and the most important ones: study time and free time.

By looking at this in such detail early in the semester, we can create healthy habits that will support both well-being and academic success throughout the semester. For example, I never recommend study sessions longer than three hours, so we actually build breaks into the general plan. It's also important to build in free time, especially for high-achieving students who may be tempted to always fill their time with work of some sort, leading to burnout.

There are several benefits to doing this. First, when students' time is put on paper, they start to think about it differently. If they see more hours for clubs than they have for classes, they might begin to recognize that they are over-committed.

Secondly, many students really have a problem allowing themselves to relax. Working on a schedule with a professional that includes true free time gives these students permission to let their guard down during those agreed-upon times.

Finally, if we set a general plan for each hour of the week, students are more likely to use that time for the designated activity because they are primed with the expectation of what that time will look like. We may not need every study hour each week, but we've got a plan for the busiest weeks of the semester, and that often gives students the boost of confidence they need to face those weeks head-on, going into them with concrete plans instead of trepidation.

Bridging the Gap

These tools aren't hard to implement, but they have a big impact. When students can see their weeks and semesters at a glance, they start to take greater ownership over them. And when students know the most important policies of their classes or at least where they can find them, they can adapt to surprises and unforeseen problems with practical and logical strategies, knowing what they can and can't let go and which to-dos do and don't merit vast swaths of time.

Working on these plans with students is one of my favorite parts of each semester. Seeing students use them to recognize their busy weeks, plan ahead how to make them more palatable, and set their own goals and timelines to keep things manageable is even better.