Do you think it is important to organize your time so that you can do all of
your work?
Definitely! At the beginning of each term, I make myself a promise, that I will keep on top of things, and not procrastinate till the last minute. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Unless I consciously make up a schedule, including notes of when I have to begin projects to successfully complete them to the quality I require of myself, it doesn't work. In my program we have an excessive amount of assignments and essays (I guess that's partly why it's called Applied Health Sciences), more than any other program I know besides Art and History, so keeping organized is difficult. As soon as I get the assignment, I start thinking about the topic, where I want to head with it, what areas I want to explore. If I do this ahead of time, it leaves me ample time to modify my topic, in case I don't find enough research on it. Caution: don't come up with a full research question after you've seen what's out there. Just don't! I've never managed to produce round, comprehensive work this way. (You know, cart before the horse...) You can modify, tweak, or alter, in light of what you find, but not the other way around.
Going back to time management: if working in a group (which is most often a killer) leave more time for every phase than originally anticipated. You'll soon find out why.
The "read chapters along with the class, come to class prepared etc." is incredibly good advice. Accept it before you learn the hard way. I take six courses a term (not a good idea for most). That means I have to read roughly two chapters/course/week (that's a minimum, plus assignments, lab reports etc) times six courses. This might sound daunting, but the only thing that could be worse, is reading 18/course/1 week of midterms AND learning it all. I'm fortunate that I take the bus (2 x 30 min per day), so I can get a lot done.
OK, this is getting really long. Ultimately, everyone has to figure out their own pace and what works best for them. I'm very visual, I have to see the textbook and the notes, listening in class isn't enough for me. (Lucky you if you're one of the listeners :)
Do you find that your instructors are approachable when you have a question
about an assignment?
This is easy! A big yes! I'm convinced that my program has possibly the best profs and instructors. I've yet to meet one who isn't approachable, friendly, or willing to help. Since our classes are taught by a relatively small number of individuals, who teach us again and again, we develop a really good relationship with them. I can have very interesting conversations about practically anything with most of them.
How do you feel when you find out that some students cheated on an exam?
In light of my first response, which gives you a glimpse of the amount of work I put into my education...well, not too good. I've never actually reported anyone in my life, even when I found out something, but that doesn't change my opinion about it. I understand that there can be tough times in anyone's life, when preparing for an exam is an impossibility. But exactly because of the relationships we have with our profs, most of these instances can be solved without the student having to cheat. We've witnessed these in my program, and everyone came out satisfied. Cheating because one didn't feel like preparing, or because they were too lazy is simply unacceptable.
What coping strategies do you have that help you meet the demands of a busy
schedule?
I guess I answered most of this in my first response. One thing I could add is, don't count the time you are getting ready to do work as actually doing something. Thinking about my assignment will not get it done. I fall into this trap myself - often. One has to realize that getting down to real business doesn't necessarily need that much prep time, but it's easy to fool yourself in this manner. Also, try organizing your extracurricular activities in a way that you are left with blocks of time. 3 x 20 minutes doesn't add up to a full hour in one chunk. This isn't always easy, but it's worth it.
Where do you go for help when you have a question about when or how to cite
sources?
Most of the time my profs will post a guide on ACE for us to use, or TAs will provide some kind of a tutorial. Refworks- I must strongly encourage Refworks. It works wonders. Had I known about it earlier, I could've saved myself so much time over the years.
Most journals have sites one can refer to for specifics, but I have contacted my liaison librarian with citation questions.
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