Study Tips by Jensine Bugelli
September 25, 2020 | General, Women's Water Polo, Anteater365
Welcome Week at UCI begins on Monday and while the 2020-21 school year will start unconventionally, the academic grind is still the same. Sophomore women's water polo player Jensine Bugelli, who is majoring in English with a minor in criminology, has one of the highest grade point averages among the student-athletes and was named Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches' All-Academic last spring. She is sharing how she has mastered the academic workload and continued to excel in a remote learning world.
JENSINE'S TOP 10 TIPS
1. Take notes! Everyone has their own way of doing so, but I find it incredibly beneficial to write notes out by hand. Doing so forces you to study as you write, because you are consciously sorting information to write the most important pieces, and mentally processing the words you pen down. Oftentimes professors post slides with important info for their classes, so I try to make it a habit of taking handwritten notes from these slides, rather than just printing and reading them.
2. Stay organized! It is super important to know what you need to do, and when you need to have it done by, in order to stay on top of assignments and due dates. I recommend keeping a planner to record the dates of exams, projects due, etc to remind yourself of upcoming deadlines. Plus, the satisfaction of crossing a completed assignment off of a list is the BEST feeling!
3. Find a study space that limits distractions and allows you to work efficiently. This is unique to everyone, as we all thrive in different environments. When on campus, if the Al Irwin (AI) isn't your cup of tea, I recommend the Humanities library (Langson), or Aldridge Park. And worst case, if you can't get to a mellow area conducive to studying, listening to the right music works just as well! Choose a playlist that drowns out distractions and cultivates productivity. (Spotify has plenty of premade study playlists if you don't have anything in mind)
4. Give yourself a break! Sometimes your workload may seem overwhelming, so try to tackle it one piece at a time. Allow yourself to press pause; make a snack, have some fun, or simply relax after you've completed one assignment on a list of many. You're one step closer to accomplishing your goal. You've earned a break. :)
5. Acknowledge your own effort. It is great to stay aware of how much work you are putting into a particular course or assignment. When I catch myself putting minimal effort into a certain class, I dedicate more time and energy to that class. Doing so will help keep you from falling behind, or get you caught up before it's too late.
Same goes for classes you are working hard in. Take pride in the work you are doing, maybe even brag to your coaches if you feel like it.
6. Make friends in your classes! Definitely easier said than done, especially with this quarter being online, but it is so worth it to reach out and connect with your classmates. Spring quarter for me consisted of group facetime study sessions and catching up with classmates on how we were handling certain assignments, and how we were prepping for exams. Making friends with classmates sets you up to hold yourself accountable not only to you, but also to your new friends. Not only that, but it adds an element of socialization that virtual learning inherently lacks.
7. Go to office hours! Virtual office hours are so easy and so accessible. From my experience with online office hours spring quarter, professors and TA's were eager for an opportunity to get to know students and to engage with them on a personal level that Zoom classrooms could not deliver. So get to know your teachers, and let them get to know you. This not only creates a great learning environment, but also sets you up for success in the future. By harvesting a relationship with your professors, you can count on them for letters of rec, internship opportunities, and more when the time comes.
8. Make the most of your free time! As a student-athlete there is a lot on your plate -- managing athletic performance, academic success, friendships and relationships, and good mental health can be stressful! That being said, it is imperative that you do what's best for yourself - engage in self-care, allow yourself to relax and enjoy activities unrelated to school or sport. Paint a picture, learn a dance, do something you love to do! Spend time with your friends, teammates, the people that make you happiest.
9. Make things easier for yourself -- use the amazing resources UCI has to offer! Reach out to your coaches, teammates, and friends for potential connections that can help you in your field of study. UCI has an amazing alumni network! Not only that, but as athletes, we have access to former players who are eager to guide, help, and teach us. Take advantage of these connections, your alumni are former athletes who want to see you succeed.
10. NAP! Working hard in the classroom, the pool, the gym, or on the field or court is exhausting. Get some sleep in between classes, after practice, whenever or wherever you have the opportunity and feel you could use some rest. It's always better to take a quick nap before class than to pass out during your lecture!
With the current social climate, and our consequential academic alterations, I thought some online specific advice might be appropriate! That being said, here are some more tips!
- Communicate with professors! As always, communication is key! However, since you cannot just speak to your professor before or after class, it is important to keep communication lines open via email and office hours!
- Stay on top of your pre-recorded lectures! Don't let them pile up, you don't want to leave yourself with eight lectures to watch as you're prepping for a midterm!
- Even though you are at home, treat classes as if you are attending in person! Toss aside the sweats and pjs, get up and get dressed for class! This will put you in the mentality to engage with your schoolwork, rather than with your bed.
- Dedicate time to studying, and only studying! Set a timer for a couple of hours, and spend that time at the kitchen table or at your desk, without your phone or television to distract you. Pretend you're in the Al, and Alexis/Amanda/Mari will call you out if you're not working.
Hopefully this helps make your schoolwork a bit more manageable! Wishing you all success in your sport and in school!
Good luck, and let's go Eaters!
Jensine
Check out the campus' video on What You Need To Know To Prepare For Remote Learning Success
JENSINE'S TOP 10 TIPS
1. Take notes! Everyone has their own way of doing so, but I find it incredibly beneficial to write notes out by hand. Doing so forces you to study as you write, because you are consciously sorting information to write the most important pieces, and mentally processing the words you pen down. Oftentimes professors post slides with important info for their classes, so I try to make it a habit of taking handwritten notes from these slides, rather than just printing and reading them.
2. Stay organized! It is super important to know what you need to do, and when you need to have it done by, in order to stay on top of assignments and due dates. I recommend keeping a planner to record the dates of exams, projects due, etc to remind yourself of upcoming deadlines. Plus, the satisfaction of crossing a completed assignment off of a list is the BEST feeling!
3. Find a study space that limits distractions and allows you to work efficiently. This is unique to everyone, as we all thrive in different environments. When on campus, if the Al Irwin (AI) isn't your cup of tea, I recommend the Humanities library (Langson), or Aldridge Park. And worst case, if you can't get to a mellow area conducive to studying, listening to the right music works just as well! Choose a playlist that drowns out distractions and cultivates productivity. (Spotify has plenty of premade study playlists if you don't have anything in mind)
4. Give yourself a break! Sometimes your workload may seem overwhelming, so try to tackle it one piece at a time. Allow yourself to press pause; make a snack, have some fun, or simply relax after you've completed one assignment on a list of many. You're one step closer to accomplishing your goal. You've earned a break. :)
5. Acknowledge your own effort. It is great to stay aware of how much work you are putting into a particular course or assignment. When I catch myself putting minimal effort into a certain class, I dedicate more time and energy to that class. Doing so will help keep you from falling behind, or get you caught up before it's too late.
Same goes for classes you are working hard in. Take pride in the work you are doing, maybe even brag to your coaches if you feel like it.
6. Make friends in your classes! Definitely easier said than done, especially with this quarter being online, but it is so worth it to reach out and connect with your classmates. Spring quarter for me consisted of group facetime study sessions and catching up with classmates on how we were handling certain assignments, and how we were prepping for exams. Making friends with classmates sets you up to hold yourself accountable not only to you, but also to your new friends. Not only that, but it adds an element of socialization that virtual learning inherently lacks.
7. Go to office hours! Virtual office hours are so easy and so accessible. From my experience with online office hours spring quarter, professors and TA's were eager for an opportunity to get to know students and to engage with them on a personal level that Zoom classrooms could not deliver. So get to know your teachers, and let them get to know you. This not only creates a great learning environment, but also sets you up for success in the future. By harvesting a relationship with your professors, you can count on them for letters of rec, internship opportunities, and more when the time comes.
8. Make the most of your free time! As a student-athlete there is a lot on your plate -- managing athletic performance, academic success, friendships and relationships, and good mental health can be stressful! That being said, it is imperative that you do what's best for yourself - engage in self-care, allow yourself to relax and enjoy activities unrelated to school or sport. Paint a picture, learn a dance, do something you love to do! Spend time with your friends, teammates, the people that make you happiest.
9. Make things easier for yourself -- use the amazing resources UCI has to offer! Reach out to your coaches, teammates, and friends for potential connections that can help you in your field of study. UCI has an amazing alumni network! Not only that, but as athletes, we have access to former players who are eager to guide, help, and teach us. Take advantage of these connections, your alumni are former athletes who want to see you succeed.
10. NAP! Working hard in the classroom, the pool, the gym, or on the field or court is exhausting. Get some sleep in between classes, after practice, whenever or wherever you have the opportunity and feel you could use some rest. It's always better to take a quick nap before class than to pass out during your lecture!
With the current social climate, and our consequential academic alterations, I thought some online specific advice might be appropriate! That being said, here are some more tips!
- Communicate with professors! As always, communication is key! However, since you cannot just speak to your professor before or after class, it is important to keep communication lines open via email and office hours!
- Stay on top of your pre-recorded lectures! Don't let them pile up, you don't want to leave yourself with eight lectures to watch as you're prepping for a midterm!
- Even though you are at home, treat classes as if you are attending in person! Toss aside the sweats and pjs, get up and get dressed for class! This will put you in the mentality to engage with your schoolwork, rather than with your bed.
- Dedicate time to studying, and only studying! Set a timer for a couple of hours, and spend that time at the kitchen table or at your desk, without your phone or television to distract you. Pretend you're in the Al, and Alexis/Amanda/Mari will call you out if you're not working.
Hopefully this helps make your schoolwork a bit more manageable! Wishing you all success in your sport and in school!
Good luck, and let's go Eaters!
Jensine
Check out the campus' video on What You Need To Know To Prepare For Remote Learning Success
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