PATTERNS: IDENTIFY, ANALYZE, AND PLAN - Steve Vogel Learning Strategist

You’ve been going to class for a few weeks now and have likely settled into some patterns that will carry you through the term up to exams. You likely have enough variation in terms of labs, presentations, group projects and quizzes that dull routine is not a problem.

The routine patterns can be taken for granted and slip under the radar for adjustments that could gain productivity and reduce unnecessary hassle. So take a few moments to identify the patterns you have observed these past weeks. What is working? What needs adjustment? What needs a note to be proactive about next term?

Some of the patterns are imposed by the school:

Every school has its own special pluses and minuses. Here are some examples:

Transportation: How easy is parking? How close to your first class is the bus stop? How much do these factors add to your daily routine?

Library space: How much library space is available for bookings for individual students? For meeting rooms for group projects? How far ahead do you need to book? These factors will be very relevant should you have noisy roommates and need a quiet place to focus, or need access to special reserved materials. And especially relevant for booking group projects or STEM peer work seminars.

Course specific: Some professors will have weekly quizzes; some will have pop quizzes; some will require regular online submissions . . . you can add to the list by now!

Some of the patterns are student centred:

Your own bioclock:

When is your downtime during the day?
When are you most on your game?
When are you hungry?
When are you tired?

Take these factors into account when you’re planning your study time, your exercise time, your social time.

Current time utilization patterns:

When do you hit the books?
When are you in class?
When are you at a job?
When do you find others seeking to connect?
When do you eat?
When do you sleep?
When do you travel to and from class and work?
When do you have social time?
When do you have spiritual time?
When is your exercise time?
When is your family/partner time?

Now, map your time out on your scheduler and see the current patterns.

Analyze and plan:

What’s going well? Where could you benefit by making adjustments?

Sketch out and draft an adaptable weekly schedule that accommodates both your school’s realities and your own current life patterns.

At this stage, I often hear, “Steve, my pattern is I’m behind! I’m always behind!” And our work begins: identifying where regrouping is possible, assigning priorities, getting creative, setting realistic standards—and dealing with the reality that knowing where you’re behind is the first step for getting ahead!

More on that next week. In the meantime, connect with me if you’d like to explore how we might work together on tools for your academic success. [email protected] .

The information in this blog cannot take the place of support from your own mental health professional or community health resources. Reach out to them. And IF YOU ARE IN CRISIS, PLEASE DIAL 911.