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Minimizing Distractions to Maximize College Prep Success
Right smack in the middle of the college prep process, students are knee-deep in text messages, phone calls, social media postings, beep, buzz, ring…
OH MY!
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Today’s high-tech world is full of distractions and college-bound teens can easily lose precious time needed for college prep when the need to instantly respond to technology becomes second nature. On the flip side, the benefits of using modern technology can be huge and play a big part in college searching, scholarship applying, and much more.
Wendy David-Gaines, the author of Parent of College Students Survival Stories, shares 11 ways in which parents can partner with their students and create an environment to minimize distractions and maximize the college prep process. I find this article fascinating and highly recommend it for parents and students of all ages.
Thanks for sharing your college prep tips and knowledge with my readers, Wendy!
WHEN TECH HELPS/HURTS COLLEGE PREP
Students can be wasting hours a day or maximizing every second of precious college prep time. Which way the day goes depends on the use of tech devices. Parents may remember their parents telling them to turn off the T.V. Today’s college-bound are distracted by a host of other diverting devices. The problem isn’t just the interruption but each intrusion can add “about 15 minutes for them to resume a serious mental task,” according to an article in Entrepreneur on Sept. 23.
Four text messages, two emails, and a couple of Facebook posts can wash two hours of meaningful concentration-time down the drain and that’s not counting how long the updating and checking in actually took. Yet, social media can be used effectively to demonstrate interest in colleges and learn more about schools, college admission tests, academic and extracurricular opportunities. It’s all about efficiently using tech devices which means staying focused on one activity at a time.
Gretchen Rubin wrote the Entrepreneur article that also appeared on LinkedIn. She jokes, “If I’d been checking my emails, I might never have had the idea for my book The Happiness Project.” That and her Happier at Home were on The New York Times Best Sellers list. In her article, she gave eleven steps for adults to reduce the stress from distractions because,
“Too many things clamor for your attention. People are trying to reach you, by phone, email, text, Twitter, or old-fashioned yelling up the stairs. Colleagues interrupt. You need to update, check in, post, or ping. Ads jump at you from the most unlikely places. Devices buzz, ring, chirp, and vibrate.”
Students have similar issues and parents can help address them with a parent-student team. Here are those eleven ways adapted for college prep.
Choose white noise or quiet. The strategy is to mute diversions. So if students are tempted to sing along and get up and dance to a fave tune, save the music for break time.
Picture the goal. Hang a photo of a choice college, a symbol of a desired career, or inspirational saying like this one in a prominent place and use it as a screen saver. It’s a great self-motivation tool. When overwhelmed, look at it, take a deep breath, and refocus.
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Keep college materials together. Use both real and virtual organizers so no time is wasted hunting for something like a scholarship application or tempted into playing a game. Parents can help students create a workstation that is well lit and display the motivation picture chosen in the 2nd tip.
Form a college-bound tech plan. Multitasking is a college prep threat and parents can help their students create a media-free homework zone with planned tech breaks.
Mute, turn off or put away all devices that aren’t being used for study. The bonus is it will help develop impulse control that will reap big benefits in college and beyond.
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Use a calendar. Mark test dates, application deadlines and assign time frames to complete other tasks. The family can make it a habit to refer to it and update regularly. Time management and organization skills are essential and will become even more important during college and in jobs.
Keep to the schedule. For example, a text message alert may come across the screen while studying online for the SAT. Maintain priorities and ignore it until it’s time to take the tech break.
Reread the 5th tip, it’s that important.
Take breaks. Don’t forget to schedule breaks, social activities and personal time alone, with family and friends to ensure downtime. Burnout is a real danger to busy high school students.
Get up and move. Studying doesn’t have to be inside at a desk. Take a walk thinking about the information learned, stand while writing, talk to a study partner while tossing a ball. Stand, walk and talk while using tech devices, too.
Have a back-up plan. Keeping options is a great way to navigate the college prep road. There are so many “what ifs” and possibilities. For example, use a tech device to make a spreadsheet to organize college choices and create a personal college ranking list. Be flexible, ready to reassess, make a good decision and go on to the next issue.
Monica Matthews is the author of How to Win College Scholarships. She helped her own son win over $100,000 in college scholarships and now shares her expertise with other parents and their students. She truly has “been there, done that” in regards to helping parents and students navigate the scholarship process.
Her method of helping students in finding college scholarships, writing unique and compelling scholarship essays, creating amazing scholarship application packets and more, have taught desperate parents to help their own students win thousands of scholarship dollars.
Monica’s scholarship tips have been featured on many prominent websites and she has been dubbed the “Go-To” expert on college scholarships.
