Montana Aussie Adventures with Erin-Jay

Another week, another day in paradise…I know there are many of you that feel the same way.

It was hard to think of what to write this week. Everyone I meet is so inspirational and I feel I can connect on many different levels.

Though I find this week that I am beginning to find my groove. It’s been so busy with so many events, sports, festivals kicking off to end the summer in style.

So I figured I would share a little more about myself as there are plenty of students heading to college and specifically those in their final year of High School.

Having gone back to do my degree in multimedia journalism as what is classified as a mature aged student, I wanted to share some tips that I found had not only helped me but my mentees as well.

I was a part of a program called “James Cook University Student Mentor Program.” This university was the first in Australia to institute such a program.

Because of my unique perspective, I really gave what I could in regard to support and advice to my fellow university students.

It can be a daunting task, especially the first semester. There are so many things you need to be able to work out, juggle and be able to stay on top of what you need to achieve with your studies.

Typically, the first six weeks will be the hardest, as there will be a range of emotions. Of course, when those first assignments are due, they seem to come out of no where…trust me I know the feeling.

So here are some of my “Aussie Study Tips” for college and high school seniors;

1: Start to use a calendar to place your classes on the right day and the right times. This will help your time management skills. Don’t forget to add your sports trainings and games and most importantly FREE TIME.

2: Always mark your assignment due dates 4-5 days before it is actually due. This will help you stay on top of your research and completion layouts. BONUS; if something goes wrong you have a couple of days up your sleeve to fix it.

3: Engage with your teachers, they are there to help you. They want to help you achieve your academic goals. But if you don’t engage, (especially for college students) they may not know who you are as a student and may not be able to schedule time to help you.

4: High school students, start finding your best ways to study. I had to learn this as a University student. Truth be told I couldn’t study to save my life in high school… I found that because of the way I learn I study best with something on the background, whether it is music or TV, it allows a part of my brain to be satisfied with my own version of ‘white noise’ while I can immerse myself into my work and punch through it.

5: Don’t forget to have fun and ask for help when you need it. I enjoyed my sports, going to dinner with friends, or a BBQ with the family. And when I started getting stressed my friends and family where ready to help when I asked. Sometimes it was as simple as giving me space to study or helping me by proof reading.

I hope this helps a few of you as school is just around the corner. Truth be told I enjoy bringing up another screen on my computer with YouTube playing some of my favorite music clips or watching James Cordens Carpool Karaoke and Spike TV’s Lip Sync Battle with LL Cool J. Hope I’m not showing my age too much.

No matter what you do to study, create your best study habits. I truly found that it has really helped me reach my goals faster and easier.

So until next week Sanders County... HooRoo.