By: Paolo Ramos / Staff Writer
Students at the University live a fast-paced life. While education is one of the most important factors of a person’s well being, it is not the only important aspect, and this fact should be taken into consideration by professors.
Educators should provide moderate guidance and consideration when considering supplements to a course. A simple solution to this predicament could be to implement some sort of reminder system that could help students manage the several aspects of their lives better.
The majority of students at the University are commuters, spending several hours a week just driving to and from school. Furthermore, other aspects of life take up these students’ time when they are not studying, ranging from mundane activities such as socializing and spending time with family to working at a job to make ends meet. If student success is a driving factor of educators, then it should be kept in mind when considering the amount of resources made available to students.
Jacqueline Choowong is a senior studying pharmacy, a considerably challenging subject with an intense course load. “To most professors, I’m just another student. What they don’t know is that I work over 30 hours a week at a pharmacy, to support my seven year old son. It’s not easy managing my time, and I’ve definitely missed assignments because of it. A reminder system would definitely help me keep track of things and prioritize,” she said.
There are countless circumstances where time management may be problematic when it comes to the lives of most of the student body. Course load alone may prove to be difficult, especially to those who have to take on more than they can handle due to scholarship or graduation requirements. In short, sometimes students do not have a choice in taking on more than they can handle.
When it comes to the actual reminder system, utilities exist today so that little effort would be required to implement it. From Facebook notifications to bank statement texts and emails, it has been exhibited that alert systems can be entirely autonomous, only requiring initial input in order to be put into use.
The University has implemented similarly structured alert systems. Using Panthermail, information about events both on and off campus is relayed as well as information from several student organizations and administration.
With technology available, the only conscious effort required by educators would be to synchronize information such as due dates and reminders at the beginning of the year, and setting up a delivery schedule at the discretion of the professor using students University or personal emails.
There is no legitimate excuse for doing poorly at school because of poor time management. In theory, everybody attending university is expected to have a handle on their affairs. As desirable as it is, nobody is perfect, and things do happen.
A reminder system is by no means a panacea for time management, and should never become a crutch for students to lean on. However, when executed properly, it can only serve as an enhancement to a student’s educational experience.
About Post Author
