Academic Advising
An Hour Well Spent?
Here is how one college freshman spent the hour between two morning classes.
TIME ACTIVITY
8:51 Leaves history class, talks briefly with friends outside.
8:54 Starts for library.
8:56 Meets friend, discusses plans for weekend football game.
8:59 Finishes discussion, heads for library.
9:02 Arrives at library, stops friend to check on when English theme is due.
9:04 Finishes discussion, enters library.
9:08 Settles down, starts to read history assignment.
9:14 Realizes history assignment is not due till next week, decides to work on tomorrow’s
English assignment instead.
9:15 Spots friend at another table, decides to check on English assignment.
9:16 Checks English assignment, discusses football team’s prospects in game.
9:20 Finishes conversation, returns to study.
9:21 Counts number of pages in English assignment, realizes assignment cannot be
completed in thirty minutes, debates future course of action.
9:23 Decides to read as much as possible anyway.
9:27 Finds English assignment boring, decides to check over math homework instead.
9:31 Discovers math homework hasn't been completed, begins working remaining problems.
9:40 Completes second math problem, recognizes impossibility of working remaining ten
problems in fifteen minutes, debates future course of action.
9:42 Decides to adjourn to coffee shop.
9:45 Arrives at coffee shop, purchases coffee and doughnut.
9:47 Joins group of friends discussing forthcoming exams.
9:54 Makes comment while leaving for 10:00 math class: “There just aren’t enough hours in
the day to get all this studying done.”
9:59 Arrives at math class, hopes instructor won’t give a quiz over homework assignment.
This student actually studied for less than one-third of a possible sixty-minute study period. The remaining time was squandered in a disorganized attempt to start studying. Unfortunately, disorganization and procrastination are typical of many college freshman. How about you? How much time did you waste today?