Five CAS Students Share Their Remote Study Strategies

College of Arts & Sciences sophomore April Bartle (and some friends) share some tips for successful studying during remote instruction. 

This is a confusing and stressful time, and adapting to all of the changes can be difficult. Students have had to make lots of changes to their academic life quickly in the Winter ‘20 semester. While some have taken online classes in the past, this is a whole new way of learning for others. Here are some strategies students in the College of Art and Sciences at UM-Flint are using to making this transition a little easier. 

Kassia McEntire

Wildlife Biology major Kassia McEntire stays busy with a physically active routine. She gets up around the same time every morning, starting off her day with a workout to feel energized. After that, she showers and spends time on her classes. Keeping a similar routine each day helps Kassia stay focused.

“Having a set schedule keeps me on track.”  It motivates her to log onto her classes every day and meet deadlines.

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Kayla Neal

Kayla is a very determined and focused Political Science major. To ensure she can concentrate solely on her classes, Kayla likes to work in a secluded area. Minimizing the distractions around helps her to really engage with the material without classmates and professors to brainstorm in real-time.

She has plans to further her education in law school after graduating from UM-Flint.

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Genevieve Heydt

Even beyond Michigan’s borders (she is back home in Illinois), students like Actuarial Mathematics major Genevieve have figured out systems to be efficient in their classes. Since assignments and due dates have changed after transitioning to remote instruction, she has started a weekly calendar on her dry erase board. This way, she can keep track of her lectures and make changes to deadlines when needed.

“It has all my class times that still meet at designated times and I can add in and remove due dates.” 

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Immanuel Wright 

Anthropology major Immanuel, known by his friends as Manny, cannot stress enough how important list-making has been for him. He will often check the syllabi for his classes and compose a list of what needs to be done. He then reviews his list and prioritizes which assignments are either due the soonest or what important projects he should get started on. Going through his list every day has assisted him greatly with new online formats. 

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April Bartle

Last but not least, it’s me. If you haven’t already, my biggest tip to get through online classes would be to keep a planner. My planner has become my second brain. I write in when assignments are due, what I should do for the day, etc. I think it’s best to get organized on Monday and fill out your planner for the week ahead so you don’t miss out on lectures or quizzes. I’m going for my bachelor’s in Communication Studies along with a minor in Spanish

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