Learning and Your Life, Essentials of Student Success by Robert S. Feldman Essay

Introduction

This book targets specifically the non-residential commuter students and campus taking into consideration the challenges they encounter as they juggle between work and family obligations. Feldman equips these students with a strategy dubbed P.O.W.E.R (Prepare, Organize, Work, Evaluate, Re-think). This approach makes the use of examples, photos, and activities which are tied to general education courses using the P.O.W.E.R principles. The book is sub-divided into chapters some of which will be discussed in this analysis.

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P.O.W.E.R Learning Chapter 2: Making the Most of Your Time

This chapter gives lessons on how to improve time management skills. Also, Feldman gives strategies on planning one's time including ways of dealing with inevitable interruptions and unproductive personal habits that can easily sabotage one's best intentions. This is discussed in the following sub-topics:

Finding your time style

According to Feldman, "the goal of time management is not to schedule every waking moment of the day. Rather, the goal is to make informed choices as to how we use our time." Finding one's time style requires knowing where one is starting from and where he or she wants to go. To improve on time management, one has to first figure out how to manage the time now. Several ways can assist in that. One is creating a time log. How one has spent their time should be recorded in the log, including interruptions. The time log should be kept for seven days using a typical week. This record should be able to inform the student where his or her time goes. The second is about identifying the "black holes" which are the unimportant activities that consume one's time and prevent one from accomplishing important activities. One should prepare a table and list the black holes of time management, noting those that can be controlled personally and the uncontrollable. This can be done individually or in a group. Identifying the problems and the extent of control will help the individual seek out the best control mechanisms on them.

Setting Priorities

This comes after identifying the activities that take up one's time. Priorities are ranked from the most to the least important activity depending on what one wants to accomplish. Priorities should be set with specificity and should be measurable such as studying for three hours before sleeping. One should prepare a priorities chart and list all the activities that must be done giving them an index from 1 to 3, with 1 indicating an activity that must be done and 3 one that can wait. This is followed by re-organizing these activities using the indexes such that activities follow each other in order of importance. Since there is hardly enough time to carry out all the activities that one might be having, setting priorities helps in making informed decisions on how to make the best use of time.

Finding Procrastination Quotient

Procrastination is a problem faced by many. To find out the extent of procrastination, one needs to find their procrastination quotient by answering several questions which are rated with numbers which represent both extremes. The outcomes are either one is not a chronic procrastinator and only does it once in a while, one has a minor problem of procrastinating, or one is a chronic procrastinator and should find mechanisms to help break the habit. Several steps are recommended to help overcome the problem of procrastination.

Chapter 5: Reading and Remembering

In this chapter, Feldman provides a guide to the students on effective reading and remembering that which one has read. He offers strategies he considers essential in helping one achieve this goal. Great emphasis is laid on taking notes as a skill which forms the foundation of proper reading and remembering. First, students should start by considering their goals. This can be done by listing down one's goals for the semester or can be done on a weekly basis. Outlining one's goals will help in identifying the most relevant notes that one needs to take. Secondly, even though a lot of notes could be taken during lectures, not all are relevant to achieving one's goals. This, therefore, calls for a strategy to sieve the relevant and the not relevant notes. This is best achieved through discussions.

Feldman encourages taking notes during discussions since different people can bring out points in a new light that is easily and better understood. Also, one should take notes when studying individually. To test on one's ability to remember, a student is advised to evaluate the notes from class and try to activate his or her mind through re-thinking. Effective note-taking skills should help students who exercise them in reading and remembering what they have covered in class or during discussions. At job places, reading and remembering can be enhanced by taking minutes during meetings. Taking notes counters the problem of forgetfulness that could result from the many activities and responsibilities that these students bear.

Chapter 10: Making Decisions that are Right for You

This chapter deals with making decisions that are right for a person. These decisions are dependent on one's goals. The process begins by identifying these goals followed by considering and assessing the alternatives. The alternatives come in handy when one is trying to weigh career possibilities. In some cases, an individual may not be certain of the career path he or she wants to take. At other times, such an individual may be having several options of the possible routes of interest. At such a point, one is advised to evaluate the outcomes of each of the choice which will assist in reconsidering the goal options if it becomes necessary. Feldman addresses how one can identify stressors and ways of coping with them. When one is encountered with issues that disrupt him or her from conducting normal activities such as following a laid out reading routine, one ought to immediately find ways of addressing such a stressor.

Critical thinking is an effective way of handling stressors. This process starts with identifying what the problem is after which a solution is sought. Coping with stressors should be approached with a sincere conscience such that every possible daily problem is identified without fooling oneself. The problem-solving skills outlined in the chapter should be applied while using a fact versus opinion chart. The chart acts as a guide to which can be changed and which cannot. For instance, it is not possible to change a fact, and if one does it, the truth in it is distorted. Opinions can be debated and altered. When critical thinking is applied, and following the right procedure in decision-making, it is possible to cope with the everyday stressors.