By Dana Jennings, Online Sports Editor
The semester is half done, and a student yawning while grabbing a cup of coffee in the library has become a common sight. Saint Leo University is a campus of overworked zombie students, and I am no exception. Most days I can be seen with a giant mug of coffee in my hands, laden with books and on my way to class or a homework marathon. In fact, I write this editorial after midnight having read an entire Shakespeare play (out of the biggest textbook I’ve ever owned no less) that is due in the morning.
Professors and parents alike would shun many of the studying techniques I have utilized over the years. Although I am not an expert, I have found my way through the trial by fire method of learning to attain a dean’s list GPA most semesters. I believe that the rules I have come up with can be useful, and if nothing else, worth a laugh.
Rule #1: Caffeine is no substitute for sleep.
I break this rule more than any other, which is why it is the most important. It is the most difficult and easiest to overlook, as staying up late is par for college students. Coffee, soda, or an energy drink can perk us up for a time, but the true answer for fatigue is sleep. I fell asleep in a class years ago with a witness stating that I was attempting to swig my coffee as I passed out. The moral of the story is that we need to know our limits, and play within them.
Rule #2: Beer is not man’s best friend; dogs are.
Beer is one of the oldest beverages and has been made for something around 5,000 years (and made well for 100 years), but dogs have been domesticated for over15,000 years. I say dogs because I own and have always had dogs in the house, and they are what calm me down, but that is inconsequential. It could be a dog, cat, hamster, horse, eagle, donkey, alpaca, or fish that takes your mind off of the stress of schoolwork for a moment. I would like to reiterate that all of those animals except fish are prohibited in residence halls. I have my cell phone packed with pictures and videos of my dog, Zadi and am more than willing to show them to anybody who comes along, even complete strangers! We all need something that gives us happiness to offset the usually dry and exhausting texts that we are required to read.
Rule #3: Breaks are not only okay, but they are required.
I don’t know anyone who can study for 6 hours straight with no distractions or breaks. And I don’t think I would want to meet him or her, because I think that person would have difficulty interacting in asocial setting. Do I tell my professors that as soon as I get out of their class I sit and watch an episode of Futurama? No, of course not. But I have to get a bit of inane and unproductive time to prepare myself for the upcoming homework-fest. What-ever it is that you do that takes time and gives nothing but stress relief, be it watching TV, playing video games, sewing, gossiping, juggling, or working out, the activity is absolutely imperative to good studying. The key though is MODERATION! Do I watch TV for 6 hours every night? No. If I did, I would be overdoing it and I would be incredibly irresponsible, and I would fail my classes.
My three-point study habit building informational has been fun to write, and I hope that it is fun to read. But I hope that anybody who reads this will take to heart the difficulties in their own studies and find their own best methods for success.
