14A - Halfway Reflection

1) Some behaviors I have developed over the years, or learned to develop, are time management and keeping a schedule of things to do and when to do them whether it's written down or on my phone or somewhere to keep me on top of things. This was something I struggled with (still sometimes struggle with), throughout my time here at UF. People would say procrastination really is your worst enemy and I can attest that it truly became mine when I became one of the last-minute studiers and doers for some of the classes I've taken before and yet, always regretted it and admitted I could have handled and managed my time a lot better. Keeping a schedule and keeping myself accountable on that schedule, definitely helps with time management and helps get all the assignments done in time and studying done and not have to worry about it the night before.

2) Particularly with online classes, I think management gets a little trickier, personally. In an online class, you don't have to worry about getting up a specific time and printing out your 12 page paper to turn in in class by Monday morning, instead you have your due dates but you are free to make that time schedule yourself and work things around so that you are able to do whatever else you do during your day, while still getting your work done online. There is not as much pressure in online classes as in physical on campus classes, or so that's what they say. I find it to be quite the opposite. I think with a physical class, I rely on the schedule made for me and feel more responsible getting up in the morning and attending a class but taking it online creates a whole other level of lazy and that is something I'm admitting to have experienced after having taken a few online classes before and not been as consistent as I should have been in the class.

3) Tips I'd offer to next semester's student is to (1) create your own schedule and (2) stick to it. I think step number two is the hardest part of taking online classes like this one. It takes more than just writing down a schedule on your planner or reminders on your phone, but you have to keep yourself accountable. The third tip (3) I'd offer helps foster the tenacious mindset and that is to develop a system that will make it more likely that you finish your assignments. If you do end up having a lot of work to do accumulated, whether it's this entrepreneurship class or your Chem 2 class, I'd say doing your work and studying with small breaks in between can be very rewarding and ultimately make your more productive. One thing I've learned to do and found pretty effective is, if I have a long paper due or readings or what not, is to separate the work in chunks and add timed breaks in between. Something I like to do is do 30 minutes of work with 10 minute breaks in between to get a snack or listen to music or whatever tickles your fancy. It's effective if you stay consistent and don't give yourself more break time at once (you'll be likely to accidentally take an hour long break and never get back to work). Some people have a difficult time remaining concentrated and need spurts of breaks in between their work like this to keep them going, while others can work long hours on end without stop and that's fine too. Everyone learns and studies differently and at different paces, it's up to you to figure out what works for you and what doesn't. But don't stress, you'll do great.