Skills Booster: The four questions
You had wanted to study all afternoon. But when you finally sit at your desk with your laptop open, you don't actually do anything. Once again, you get up, grab a drink, check your mail or google something. After an hour of messing around, you throw your laptop shut and decide you have no inspiration today and go do something else. Many students describe that this is how an afternoon of studying can go. It is easy then to draw the conclusion that you simply lack discipline or are a procrastinator. Is that true? And if so, how can you change that?
Whether you are a procrastinator, in the sense of being a difficult character trait to change, may not even be the most important thing to know. What is clear is that such an afternoon was apparently not productive. How do you deal with that? What can help is to explore whether you can answer the four check questions.
Checklist
- Do I know what to do?
- Do I know how to approach this?
- Can I do this?
- Do I want this?
So what's the advice? If you find that studying is not working out, grab these four questions, research what it might have to do with and start working on it. You might not find every study task super fun but if you know what to do and that you can do it on your own, the threshold to start studying will already be a lot lower.
Take a course or make an appointment directly
Having trouble with (any of) these questions? Or do you doubt your skills? Then sign up for a course in Smart Study Strategies, Timemanagment en Studeren (NL) or another training course.
Skills Lab offers free writing and studying coaching. A trained student will discuss with you your academic writing assignment and/or the questions you have about studying!
Contact Skills Lab
- Mail to skillslab@uu.nl or call +3130 253 630
- University Library Utrecht Science Park | Room 2.45
- Heidelberglaan 3, 3584 CS Utrecht