ACADEMIC FITNESSDeveloping an academic workout regimen that works for you

Introduction

In a society that values physical fitness, much time, money, and attention are devoted to physical pursuits.

Yet as a college student, have you also created an exercise program to maximize your academic f i t ness opportunities and potential?

Think of your admittance to the university as a gym membership…you, your parents, or other sponsors are investing an impressive amount of money with the hope of yielding success in academic f i t ness .

Are you making the most of that investment?

WebMD offers some helpful tips from “experts and successful exercisers [to] reveal the top tips and tricks they use to get the most from their [physical] fitness routines.”

Consider their 10 suggestions as they relate to academic f i t ness .

1. Be consistent

If you want to experience success in your academic endeavors, consistency is critical! Think about how you can establish or maintain consistency in your academic f i t ness . For example:

Regular class and lab attendance

Steady study sessions

Unvarying completion of assignments

Committed adherence to deadlines

2. Follow an effective exercise routineIdentify how you learn best and adapt your academic f i t ness exercises accordingly.

Once you have determined your learning preferences, design study routines to accommodate your personal learning style.

3. Set realistic goals

“Don’t strive for perfection or an improbable goal that can’t be met. Focus instead on increasing healthy behaviors.”

For example, if a 4.0 GPA is not a realistic a cademic f i t ness goal, look instead for opportunities for incremental growth and improvement that are more achievable.

4. Use the buddy system

The “buddy system” can be an effective strategy, motivator, reporting system and accountability check in your academic f i t ness plan.

Seek out study partners and/or study groups with opportunities for mutual sharing, studying and collaboration in your learning process.

5. Make your plan fit your lifeConsider your best opportunities for effective study in your present circumstances in relation to your academic f i t nessplan. For example:

What times are available in your schedule to devote to study?

What environments are most available and conducive to your productive study plan?

What facilities or services do you need to access in order to study most efficiently?

6. Be happyRemember the saying: “No pain, no gain”? Sometimes the actual a cademic f i t ness process may not be overly or immediately satisfying, but the eventual results can be! What will motivate you to keep moving towards that end result? How can you enjoy the process in the meantime? Consider simple rewards to encourage healthy and happy progress along the way.

7. Watch the clock

“Your body clock, that is.” Identify the time of day when you are most alert and able to fully engage in your academic f i t ness pursuits. Honor and reserve that ideal time for study purposes.

“If you’re a morning person, schedule your fitness activities early in the day; if you perk up as the day goes along, plan your activities in the afternoon or evening.”

8. Call in the pros

If your admission to the university is the equivalent of a gym membership and your tuition is your membership fee, then professors would play the role of personal trainers in this academic f i t nesscomparison.

With this analogy in mind, consider a fitting excerpt from the book The Last Lecture….

The Last Lecture

…I’d compare college tuition to paying for a personal trainer at an athletic club. We professors play the roles of trainers, giving people access to the equipment (books, labs, our expertise) and after that, it is our job to be demanding. We need to make sure that our students are exerting themselves. We need to praise them when they deserve it and to tell them honestly when they have it in them to work harder. Most importantly, we need to let them know how to judge for themselves how they’re coming along. The great thing about working out at a gym is that if you put in effort, you get very obvious results. The same should be true of college. A professor’s job is to teach students how to see their minds growing in the same way they can see their muscles grow when they look in a mirror. –Randy Pausch

9. Get inspired

Do you know someone in your field of study that you especially admire? Or someone that is a proven learner? Consult with them, learn from them, be inspired by them, and emulate their habits in academic f i t ness .

Get “pumped up” about class lectures and your major area of study, as one learning expert recommends.

10. Be patient

“Finally, remember that even if you follow all these tips, there will be ups and downs, setbacks and victories. Hang in there, and you’ll see solid results.”

Academic f i t nessresults may not be immediately noticeable, but keep persisting in your efforts for eventual and certain progress!

Conclusion

Be mindful that just as a physical fitness program must incorporate a sense of holistic balance, your academic f i t ness plan should too.

Remember to include the following as you finalize your plan of action: Track your personal progress

without unfairly comparing yourself to others

Pace yourself according to your ability and potential

Maintain healthy eating and sleeping patterns

Seek overall wellness and equilibrium in education, health, employment, finances, family relations, social interactions, spirituality, etc.

Recalculate plans as needed Recognize and enjoy your

improved sense of well-being

Are you prepared to accept this academic f i tness challenge?

…then on your mark …

…get set …

…GO!

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