Where has the time gone?  It still feels like school has just begun, but we are already one month into the spring semester.  This term is proving to be radically different from the fall.  Whereas last October I felt as if I was drowning, and every day was a constant struggle to keep my head above water, now I feel more on top of things. In terms of academics, I have most of my big core accounting classes out of the way. Right now I am concentrating more on my track classes and electives. Also, recruiting is in the rearview mirror, and all of my energy is thankfully directed where it needs to be, on my classes.  Finally, just by virtue of being in the program for so many months, I have developed an effective routine that allows me to get my work done every single day.

Last October I wrote a short post about several strategies I was planning to adopt to help me become more successful in this program. Some of them I was able to carry out. Others have been more of a challenge. With the the benefit of hindsight and with the perspective that a new semester and new classes bring, here is an updated analysis of my self improvement goals from last semester.

Textbook Readings

The strategy: Last October, I decided that reading my textbooks was not an efficient use of my time.  Reviewing my class notes and doing homework problems was to become the new focus of my energy.

The result: This strategy actually ended up paying dividends for me last semester by allowing me to use my time more efficiently and by forcing me to focus on key concepts and cast aside inconsequential details. Unfortunately, I have had to abandon my n0-read plan this spring as my classes are much more reading- and concept-intensive and less problem driven.  Without my textbooks, I would be completely in the dark this semester.

Early to Bed, Early to Rise

The strategy:  After an exhausting couple of months, I was determined to go to sleep earlier and sacrifice some study time for sleep.

The result:  I never had the guts to carry out this plan all the way. If I felt uneasy about a class, I would cave in and study into the early morning hours. So far, I have been able to control my sleep this spring, but I have not been truly tested yet.

Quality over Volume

The strategy:  Rather than do hundreds of homework problems, I decided that I would try doing fewer problems, but attempt to understand each one better.

The result: It is hard to say if this ended up being a smart strategy or not.  It seemed to work well for Cost Accounting and less well for Intermediate Financial Accounting.  This term, few of my classes have real homework problems to do.  Most of my time is spent learning and understanding concepts.

Group Study

The strategy: I decided sometime last semester that the key to doing well is studying with other people.  Trying to learn everything on my own was not working.

The result: I reaped huge benefits from this one, particularly during final exams.  Working with other people helped keep me focused and motivated, and I was able to really pull my grades up late in the term.  This semester, I have a lot more reading to do and many fewer problems to figure out.  I need quiet time to read my books and have cut down my group study time dramatically.

Office Hours

The strategy: One major goal of mine last fall was to make better use of my professors’ office hours.  I figured that chatting with my professors and TAs would help me better understand material that I was shaky with and better retain the information I was comfortable with.

The result:  I was not 100% successful carrying this plan out.  It was just too difficult for me to make time to attend office hours very often, particularly with everything that was going on in school.  I have not been able to do any better this spring.

Energy Drinks

The strategy:  I observed that a particular pair of power twins drank gallons of these weird drinks and they seemed to be doing pretty well in all their classes.

The result:  I’m still too afraid touch the stuff.