 | | Dealing with Test Anxiety |  |  | See Dr. Bradley's article in Next Step Magazine
http://www.nextstepmagazine.com/NSMPages/articledetails.aspx?articleid=691 (4/1/2003) | |
| Study seminar makes time for free weekends | | | The Battalion - Texas A&M University
By Kimber Huff
Note: article written using our former name Time Management & Study Strategies
Dr. Walter Bradley, a professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, found that his students complained about having too much homework and too little time to socialize.
To address the problem, Bradley created a seminar which teaches students how to maintain a high grade-point ration and have the weekends free.
The seminar, entitled "Time Management and Study Strategies for College Students," began when Bradley began asking mechanical engineering students what could be done to improve the department.
"The most common answer I got was 'give less work,'" Bradley said. "I felt the bigger problem was the inefficient and ineffective way most students go about doing the work."
Bradley began planning a program that would teach students to get their work done in a reasonable amount of time.
The first seminar was given in 1990 to a group of mechanical engineering student. For the next three years, the seminar was held on campus with 160 to 170 mechanical engineering students attending each year.
Other organizations soon began asking Bradley to give his presentation for their members.
"During that time period, I began to get a lot of invitations," Bradley said.
Bradley said he wanted to expand the program, but he couldn't plan for multiple groups alone.
"I don't have time to do more than just show up and teach." Bradley said.
Bradley's son, Steven Bradley, and son-in-law, David Perry, expressed an interest in helping organize off-campus programs and programs at other schools.
"It's kind of fun to do this as kind of a family project with them," Bradley said.
In 1994, Bradley began giving the six-hour-long seminar off campus so more people could attend each semester. Two sections have also been offered in the fall, and one section in the spring.
Bradley said it is extremely important to have a clear vision of where you want to go in the future.
"Without a clear vision, I'm probably not going to perform to anything like my maximum potential," Bradley said.
Bradley said he got information about graduate school and discovered that he needed to maintain a 3.6 grade-point ration to get a fellowship to graduate school.
"Then I made a C on my first calculus test," Bradley said. Bradley didn't let this discourage him.
"I knew what I needed to make," Bradley said. "I knew where I wanted to go." Bradley said he was determined to make a 100 on the final to bring his grade up.
"I started studying three weeks before the final," Bradley said. "I probably studied 50 hours for that final."
Bradley said the studying paid off when he made a 100 on the final, and an A in the class. His GPR stayed about 3.6.
"It's hard to be excellent in performance when you're ambiguous in direction." Bradley said.
Besides determining goals for the future, Bradley said the program tries to help students improve their time management, reading and memory skills.
"I was surprised that most of the students have effective reading rates of 100 words per minute," Bradley said.
Bradley said this is approximately a third-grade reading level. A more realistic level for college students is about 500 words per minute.
"Reading slowly acutally penalizes your comprehension," Bradley said.
Another practice that can prove to hurt students is what Bradley calls "deferred learning," or putting off studying until exam time.
"You have to apply your own pressure to work hard," Bradley said.
Bradley sais going to class is also a key to improving grades and having more free time. He recommends going to class and sitting in the gront of the room.
"You have to work hard during class," Bradley said.
Bradley recommends treating school like an 8-to-5 job or a 42 hour work week.
If students are spending 14 hours in class per week, Bradley said, then they can study 28 hours outside of class and still have every week night and the entire week-end off.
"I feel very confident that students applying these skills can make a 3.5 without studying on weekends," Bradley said. "Applying them isn't hard, it's just doing things in a different way."
(10/1/1996) | |
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| | Emeritus Professor
Dr. Walter Bradley |
| Quote:
"I feel like I get so much accomplished throughout the day. I plan my week on Sundays, and use my big rocks first! Thank you so much for your help.."
-Kristen H. |
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