Rewards programs for making the grade

College students struggling with a challenging class have several options. Among them is to follow this advice from Bruce Torff, director of the Doctoral Program in Learning and Teaching at Hofstra University in Hempstead. Put out your best effort, Torff says, and feel good about yourself that you did, no matter the outcome.

Certainly a more playful approach is used at Cedarhurst-based Ultrinsic.com, profiled in today’s Newsday. That’s a site where students create financial incentives — some say make bets — on the grades they’ll get. The website’s founders say some students need a little spark like that to get them over the hump (though area officials say they’re concerned about the possible violation of gambling laws).

Kenneth Noriega, 21, an aviation major at Farmingdale State College, said that if Ultrinsic.com were available at his school, he would “check it out and use it.” He thinks the idea of “real money” as a motivator in some cases to hit the books is extremely intriguing.

But Nicole Dose, 23, sees things differently. Dose, a graduate student in the education program at Dowling College in Oakdale, said that she appreciates the value of incentives, but worries about the site handing over cold, hard cash to students who make the grade.

She has an alternative: Pay students with credits for tuition, books, even meal plans.

But back to Torff’s views, based on research and years of teaching. Students can feel overwhelmed by the seeming enormity of studying for certain exams, he says, and that’s a major source of demotivation. He suggests:

— ”Make it less about success and more about effort.” That means instead of focusing on acing the exam, set a more attainable goal of committing to study, say, from 7 to 10 p.m.

— Before plunging in, scan the chapters in question, noting the section headings. That helps you see a series of smaller, more manageable tasks, he said, and increases confidence.

— Finally, there is a place for rewards, he said, such as allowing yourself to go for a run after studying. But he warns that looking for money or gadgets as an incentive to study can help turn you into a “reward junkie.”
 

 (Students Kenneth Noriega, above left, who attends Farmingdale State College, and Nicole Dose, who goes to Dowling College)