Actualizing my Intellectual Potential

• I plan my entire semester at the commencement of classesI give top priority to the planning of all my courses, as a whole.

  Rarely Often
• I make an accurate, detailed and comprehensive task inventory and assess the level of difficulty of each task.

  Rarely Often
• I take note of tasks for which the guidelines will be given later on in the semester.

  Rarely Often
• I describe complex tasks in detail.

  Rarely Often
• I plan my long-term assignments and elaborate step-by-step schedules as soon as I know the assignment requirements: topic, document research, reading, work plan, writing, verification and presentation.

  Rarely Often
• I accurately and realistically estimate the time required to complete each task.

  Rarely Often
• I make an accurate and comprehensive inventory of available study time.

  Rarely Often
• I establish an order of priority for my tasks based on their deadlines and my personal goals.

  Rarely Often
• I reserve comfortable blocks of work time for assignments for which instruction is forthcoming.

  Rarely Often
• I record all of the above in a realistic global schedule that is readable at a glance (synoptic overview).

  Rarely Often
• I evaluate and adjust my plan on a weekly basisI keep my agenda handy and note things to do as soon as they come to mind.

  Rarely Often
• I keep my agenda up-to-date and use it as a daily and weekly guide.

  Rarely Often
• As soon as I know assignment requirements I plan my work and quickly get started.

  Rarely Often
• As soon as I know assignment requirements I plan my work and quickly get started.

  Rarely Often
• I allow at least one hour at the beginning or end of each week to take stock of the situation and plan my activities for the following week.

  Rarely Often
• I list my daily and weekly tasks according to their number and complexity: study, documentary research, reading, purchasing books, appointments, etc.

  Rarely Often
• I schedule a realistic amount of time for each operation.

  Rarely Often
• I schedule regular sessions for long-term advance exam preparation: developing memory tools, interiorization of knowledge, recall, revision and practical exercises.

  Rarely Often
• I schedule course-material study time close to the time of the corresponding course (on the eve, on the following day).

  Rarely Often
• I use any free brief periods of time to review my notes or prepare for the next course.

  Rarely Often
• I organize myself so that my work is completed well in advance of the deadline.

  Rarely Often
• I regularly assess the progression of my study plan.

  Rarely Often
• I schedule sufficient time for relaxation, recreation, physical activities and sleep.

  Rarely Often
• I plan each study and work sessionBefore I start working, I take a few minutes to set clear objectives for my work or study session.

  Rarely Often
• I plan an alternating work-break rhythm based on the degree of difficulty of the material and my concentration capacity at that particular time.

  Rarely Often
• I prepare each course and ensure prompt follow-up: preparatory reading, pre-formatting and reorganizing notes, developing memory tools, practical exercises.

  Rarely Often
• I organize my course handoutsI file documents in a functional order rather than stacking them in the order that they were distributed.

  Rarely Often
• I organize it so that I have quick access to all my handouts.

  Rarely Often
• I use my computer as a classification tool.

  Rarely Often

Studying at university is a long-term enterprise. It's a demanding and complex job that requires a lot of time and sustained intellectual effort. Good organization, planning skills, resource management and time management are the keys to success. However, we don't handle intellectual activity like other daily activities. The human brain isn't always 100% available. It has its own rhythms and limitations that have to be taken into consideration for effective learning.