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Lesson 5.1:
Whether you’re learning to better manage your stress, changing your note taking approach for your online class, or learning how to reach out to others for help, there are a lot of learned skills and behaviors that go into finding success at your college or university.
Though it can feel overwhelming, what is most important to remember is that becoming a strong student takes time and persistence. If you keep on working to up your skills, it’s only a matter of time until you achieve your goals, as long as you never give up on trying to improve.
In this final module, we invite you to take some time to consider one area that you would like to work to strengthen and offer some options for building that new habit, skill, or strength.
Of the skills presented in this toolbox, consider which area you struggle with the most.
Is it a struggle for you to study effectively?
Is it hard for you to manage your stress, which impacts your studies?
Is it a challenge to stay up to date on discussion posts?
Do you feel that you lack the ability to motivate yourself to get what you need done?
Oftentimes there are many areas where we’d like to improve, but the first step is to pick one area that feels both important to your life and possible to change. Try this exercise to help you decide what to start with first:
List 3-5 habits that you would like to change or improve
Rank those habits based on how important they are to you, with 5 being the most important and 1 being the least important
Rank those same habits based on how easy you feel it would be to start making small changes to improve that habit, with 5 being the easiest to change and 1 being the hardest.
Examine your list. Look for a habit that ranks high on your importance ranking and high on your “easy to change” ranking.
Start making small changes to address your choice
Here’s an example of what that would look like. A student named Rashid goes through the Online Toolbox course and sees several areas where he feels that he needs to make changes to become a better online student. At the end of the course, he writes down five content areas that he’d like to work on:
Build my growth mindset
Find better time management strategies to get my work done on time
Get better grades on my discussion posts
Manage my stress levels around midterms and finals
Take better notes during my Zoom classes
Rashid then takes those same areas and assigns an importance ranking in bold, with 5 being the most important and 1 being the least important
2 Build my growth mindset
4 Find better time management strategies to get my work done on time
1 Get better grades on my discussion posts
5 Manage my stress levels around midterms and finals
3 Take better notes during my Zoom classes
He then takes the same list and adds an “easy to change” ranking in italics, with 1 being the easiest to change and 5 being the hardest to change
2 1 Build my growth mindset
4 5 Find better time management strategies to get my work done on time
1 2 Get better grades on my discussion posts
5 4 Manage my stress levels around midterms and finals
3 3 Take better notes during my Zoom classes
Rashid then wants to pick an area that ranks high both in the bold “importance” ranking and in the italic “easy to change” ranking. He ranked time management strategies and managing stress levels both as high importance and possible to change, so that would be a good area for him to start trying to make some habit changes first.
Once you’ve identified an area that you’d like to work on, you can use these eight steps for implementing good habits that can help you get started:
Start small: Make small, gradual changes to your habit rather than trying to change everything at once. This makes it easier to stick to the changes you're making.
Replace the habit: Instead of trying to eliminate a habit, try replacing it with a more positive one. For example, if you often try to cram in studying in the last hour before a test, try going for a walk instead to help you be calm and present.
Set goals: Set specific, measurable goals for yourself.
Make a plan: Create a plan of action for changing your habit. Write down your plan step by step and put it somewhere that you’ll see it each day, like on your fridge or your bathroom mirror.
Use positive reinforcement: Celebrate your successes and reward yourself for making progress. For example, if you’re working on improving your time management, celebrate each assignment turned in on time with an episode of a favorite show or a coffee with a friend.
Get support: Share your goals for change with family and friends to help you stay motivated and accountable.
Track your progress: Keep a record of your progress, including both successes and setbacks. Make a chart, mark up a calendar, or keep your progress in a notebook or app so you can see your results visually.
Be patient: Changing a habit takes time and effort. Don't expect instant results and be kind to yourself as you work to make changes.
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