In the blog this week, we will continue to explore the challenges faced to maintain effective time allocation by an increasing number of students internationally. Today, we focus on what is rather comically called student syndrome, while over the next two weeks we will cover the threats posed by procrastination and optimism bias due to weak personal self-management.
Understanding student syndrome and the possible consequences
The image representing the process of student syndrome can be visualised as an educational equivalent of a medical electrocardiograph that measures the heartbeat of a patient. As shown in the image above, when tasks are originally assigned, there is an initial faint bleep of activity followed by an extended period of inactivity, or flatline. Then, as the submission date draws close, there is then a sudden burst of activity as the student attempts to complete the delayed task at the very last minute.
Then, the repetition of this process as students constantly jump from one urgent task deadline to another is known as assignment juggling. This is clearly a high-risk strategy that can also result in a disappointing level of grade performance. Moreover, the constant need to accurately estimate the actual length of time required at the last minute to complete tasks of varying complexity is also particularly stressful.
Therefore, to minimise the threat of student syndrome it is necessary to focus on progressively developing self-management and independent learning skills.
Addressing the challenge of developing self-management and independent learning skills
While premised on the perfectly justifiable objective of facilitating personal growth and critical soft skills, universities offer seemingly endless opportunities for social interaction which can, at least to some extent, tempt students away from immediate study commitments. These include a range of what are called extracurricular activities such as sports, short breaks, and clubs. Inevitably, the more learning tasks are experienced as being challenging, the greater the magnetic appeal of entertaining alternatives. This is comically illustrated in an extract from Predictably Irrational by Ariely (2008).
At the beginning of every semester my students make heroic promises to themselves – vowing to read their assignments on time, submit their papers on time, and in general, stay on top of things. And every semester I’ve watched as temptation takes them out on a date, over to the student union for a meeting, and off on a ski trip in the mountains – while their workload falls farther and farther behind. In the end, they wind up impressing me, not with their punctuality, but with their creativity – inventing stories, excuses, and family tragedies to explain their tardiness. (p. 111)
Therefore, to develop personal self-management and independent learning skills, the following actions can help in making immediate progress.
Develop a disciplined lifestyle such as getting up early and sleeping at regular times
Establish a realistic study routine
Learn to allocate time effectively
Set believable learning goals
Critically evaluate your academic performance, real interest in key subjects, and ability
Complete urgent work tasks before socialising
Be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses
Refrain from making excuses or blaming others for time allocation failures
Accept negative feedback and use the comments to improve yourself
Manage stress and negative behaviour in a mature way
Resist negative thinking, especially about regular challenges such as exams
Think positively about situations, yourself, and others
Reduce your time on social media or playing with your mobile phones
Be open with others and express your views clearly
Avoid joining peer groups composed of uncommitted, irresponsible, or lazy students
Become a leader, not a follower
Question 1
To what extent can the tendency to complete assigned tasks at the last minute be explained by laziness, lack of interest in the subject, or the consequence of weak study skills?
Question 2
Why might students from teacher-led learning cultures find developing self-management strategies more demanding than those from a student-led learning context?
Question 3
How might the tendency towards persistent procrastination disrupt performance when attempting to complete extended assignments like essays.
We shall explore the threat posed by procrastination in the blog next week.
References
Ariely, D. (2008). Predictably irrational: the hidden forces that shape our decisions. HarperCollins.
Goldratt, E. M. (2002). Critical chain. The North River Press.
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