Field Interviews on Study Habits
UNL Campus
Interviewers: Shayla Dick and Mady Pick
Robert
Location: Couch in front of Sellick Dining Hall
Observations: Robert was lounging outside of the dining hall while checking his phone. He seemed uncomfortable during the interview and was looking around. He was doing this because he was waiting to meet someone. The girl in the picture above arrived about halfway through the interview.
Interpretations: We met Robert, a mechanical engineering student. We were amazed to realize that he, like most students, studies late at night, which causes him to not get a lot of sleep. He crams for his tests, but he has found that this has a negative impact on his grades. This is significant because time management is one of the largest problems for most college students. If students could find a way to manage their time more efficiently, they could improve their grades.
Karina
Location: Booth at Sellick Dining Hall
Observations: Karina was studying on her laptop while eating. She had her shoes off and she was sitting cross-legged at the table. Karina wanted to get ahead on her homework so she decided to multitask while eating breakfast. She works better when she is comfortable, so she decided to take off her shoes.
Interpretations: We met Karina, a nutrition science student planning on going pre-med. We were amazed to learn that Karina uses the Chemistry Resource Center and other tutors to help her make the most of her study time. She finds that the going to a place to intentionally study helps her eliminate distractions such as her cell phone. Going to the Resource Center helps her plan ahead and stay on top of her homework. This is significant because Karina has a lot of productive study habits that many students could learn from. She utilizes the resources she has and takes advantage of the free tutors on campus. If more students knew about the resource centers and utilized their tutoring, they could study more effectively.
Greg
Location: Table at Sellick Dining Hall
Observations: Greg was eating an omelet and drinking water. He was eating this because he is a football player and is required to eat healthy meals. Greg was very willing and engaged in the interview, which means he is probably good with people.
Interpretations: We met Greg, a criminal justice student and a football player. We were amazed to learn that he has no mandatory study hours (apparently only freshman athletes have these). He only does homework during the weekdays because his weekends are filled with football events. He has to plan out his studying and studies in advance to make up for his lost time on weekends. This is significant because Greg is an extreme user. He doesn't seem too stressed about his studies and focuses more on football. If all ages of athletes were required to have mandatory study hours, especially during the weekends, they might be able to focus more on school.
Spencer
Location: Table at Sellick Dinning Hall
Observations: Spencer was eating with a large group at the dining hall. This implies that he is a social person and has a lot of friends. He was slightly distracted by those at his table during the interview.
Interpretations: We met Spencer, an accounting student. We were amazed to learn that he is in a learning community. He hasn't found this to be very helpful because his room is always loud and he is forced to study in study rooms in order to find quiet. He hates studying in groups, so even though he is in similar classes as his roommate, he doesn't use that for studying. This is significant because it shows the weaknesses of the current UNL learning community program. They need to find a way to better engage their students to work together and also evaluate new ways that they can enhance the study experience for their residents.
