Kasha Patel, the Deacons Abroad marketing intern, writes:
As many of you are starting to prepare for your study abroad programs, you are probably getting excited for all of the new adventures, places, and animals you will encounter and therefore may temporarily forget that you are taking a class while abroad. However, here are a few easy tips to help you effectively complete your work and generate free time while abroad:
1. Review your course reader prior to departure. Before the program begins, highlight and take notes on important points in the course reader, which you will order soon if you have not already. While you are packing, flying Down Under or generally have spare time before the program, it is beneficial to read the course reader’s passages so you are familiar with the material. As a result, you can write your essays and complete assignments more time efficiently while you’re abroad, providing you with more free time.
2. Actively take notes in lectures and the field. Whether you are hiking through the rainforest or sitting in a classroom in Dunedin, be sure to take notes of what the instructor or field guide is saying. Sometimes the sessions are long and you may find your mind wandering, but resist the urge. The more you pay attention and are focusing in class, the more knowledge you will absorb. Then you won’t have to spend as much time studying for the quizzes and final exam.
3. Divide and conquer group assignments. For group lab reports and presentations, like the one at Lamington National Park pictured left, make sure each group member is responsible for a specific section. Don’t feed ideas to one member and let that person write the entire lab report. If everyone divides the workload, then all of you can work on it together at the same time and collectively spend less time. It sounds simple enough, but harder to implement in Australia when you could be sunbathing on the beach.
If you want more tips, be sure to read my fellow intern Bowen Humphrey’s blog “How to maximize your study abroad experience”.
