Page 55 - Keys to College Success

get creative

ARGUE YOUR WAY TO OPTIMISM

Complete the following on paper or in digital format.

Name two bad things, major or minor, that have happened to you recently and produced negative beliefs. With Key 1.5 as
your guide, note the following for each of the two adversities:

■ Negative belief produced
■ Evidence to the contrary
■ Alternatives
■ Usefulness of the belief
Finally, describe whether any changes in your beliefs took place as a result of thinking through the situations in this way.

problems. In addition, make a plan with your parent(s) or guardian(s) that allows you
to build independence, learn from your mistakes, and feel deserved pride in your
accomplishments. Consider how often you will text, talk, and email, and define the
situations in which you will you reach out to them.

Responsibility and Planning

Research shows that today’s students put in an average of less than
15 hours of study time a week, compared to the nearly 25 hours
of studying per week by students in 1961. This drop of more
than 10 hours is a likely factor behind faltering graduation
rates, as well as growing ranks of students taking more
time to complete their degrees than they would like. 31
There is simply no shortcut to learning. Your
academic success is tied to how much time you
spend studying and working on assignments. For
every hour you spend in an in-person or online
class, you need to put in two to three hours of
studying per week. By these calculations, a student
taking 12 credit hours would need to study 24 to
36 hours a week outside of class. If that seems like
a lot, consider your former high school schedule:
Most high school students are in school seven
hours a day, five days a week, totaling 35 hours.
Add a couple of hours of homework per night,
including one weekend night, and you have 47 total
hours—right in the ballpark of the 36 to 48 hours you
need to spend in class and studying for a 12-credit col-
lege course load.
Schedule study time as you would class time or time on the
job. Consider fitting it in throughout the day, between classes or

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