IPhones. BlackBerrys. Laptops. Tablets. IPods. Flat-screen televisions. One major problem for today’s college and university students is becoming distracted by technology. The problem with technology and students is twofold. First of all, spending a great deal of time texting, using social networking sites, or watching Netflix wastes valuable time students could be using to study and work on assignments. Some students try to multitask by using technology to socialize and entertain themselves while studying at the same time. While a television set to a low volume or quiet music as background noise are acceptable, problems occur when at least 50 per cent of a student’s attention is on the technology and not on their work. Students are unlikely to remember things which they’ve given only half, or even less than half, of their attention.
In the past, the advice given to students would be to simply turn off their technological devices. These days, that’s not always possible, because sometimes they need to be used for legitimate academic purposes. For example, many Canadian schools use the Blackboard Learning System, an online portal which allows students to receive assignments and even submit them online. Students are also required to do online research using specific academic journals, or industry-specific databases (such as QuickLaw, which is used by students studying the legal field). Problems arise when students turn on their computers in order to do academic work, and end up scrolling through Facebook or watching videos on YouTube for up to several hours instead. Luckily, Jacky Truong, the creator of the innovative new study system “Max Grades Min Effort,” has prepared some workable solutions to the problem of technological distractions.
Truong created his study system after pulling himself out of mediocrity in order to graduate within the top five per cent of his civil engineering class at Australia’s Griffith University. Truong struggled with many things when he was getting poor grades, including dealing with various distractions, but by experimenting with different study strategies, he was able to get his act together. Now, he wants to share his successful strategies with other students so they can also experience success. His system consists of five e-book modules, each of which deals with a specific topic related to studying. Each package of modules currently comes with two bonus features, the Gantt Chart Time Management software that he created himself, and a 14-day Action Plan which will assist each user with getting started.
Truong doesn’t believe that students must completely stop using technology for recreational purposes while enrolled in school. After all, his program, true to its name, aims to show students how to put in the minimum study effort needed in order to maximize their academic results. He believes that when students have free time, or want to reward themselves for achieving a goal, they should take part in things like social networking and online gaming for limited periods of time. His second module, “The Secret to Speed Studying,” covers things such as effective techniques for speed reading, note taking, memorizing lists, and completing practice questions. If students follow his directions, they should be able to complete all of their studying and still have time left over to have some fun with technology.
Students who enjoy using technology on a daily basis will also find Truong’s third module, “The Time-Management Secret,” helpful. It contains a chart for students to fill out, which will help them determine how many hours per week they have left for studying after taking the time they spend on other activities into account. Going through this process will allow students to see how many hours per week they can use technology without their academic lives suffering. As well as completing the chart on a weekly basis, students can use its categories when scheduling their daily activities. The Gantt Chart Time Management software, an easy-to-use program which allows students to enter all of their activities into one colourful chart, will be useful for long-term planning, such as bi-weekly or monthly planning.
Any student who easily succumbs to distractions from technological devices, and wants to learn how to effectively deal with this problem should purchase “Max Grades Min Effort.” Truong’s strategies worked wonders for himself and a number of students (whose testimonials are featured on his website), so there’s a good chance they will work for others. To purchase the program at the introductory price of $37, one must go to http://www.maxgradesmineffort.com, where it is available for immediate download. Any parents who have noticed their college-age child is constantly using their cell phone, tablet, or another technological device, and may have a problem limiting that use when necessary, should also take advantage of this introductory offer. Once one purchases the program, one receives a lifetime membership to the organization, which includes free access to any future upgrades to the system.