While it may be true that not everyone learns most effectively by doing the same things, there are certain fundamentals you can follow to virtually guarantee academic success while in college. No matter what degree you take or what college you’re enrolled in, college classes are structured in a similar way. Lectures, textbook readings, assignments, projects, quizzes, partial and final exams. Knowing the class format in advance allows students to create a strategy that, when implemented and sustained, results in good grades and less stress. Here are our top 10 study habits you should try to implement in your strategy for academic success in college!
#10 – Take Long Notes
Probably the most tedious of our top 10, taking good notes is hard to do consistently. In our ADHD world, many students find it difficult to stay focused long enough to record the information that is given during lectures. However, when it comes time to write a quiz/quiz/exam, you’ll be glad you have that pile of notes to review and refresh your brain. Taking good notes is itself an act of learning, since one cannot write something that does not make sense on some level. This small act goes a long way in creating the foundation for a solid understanding of the material being covered. Taking notes also has the added benefit of keeping the brain busy and awake by preventing restlessness and boredom. A great method I learned in my first year of Engineering was to write down everything that seemed useful in any way, almost as if you were transcribing the lecture. Later that day, transfer and rewrite the notes in an understandable form in another notebook. This will consolidate the information in your mind, moving the material from your short-term memory to your long-term memory. Lastly, notes have become a source of income for many students, as those who take excellent notes are often sought after by lazier students who are willing to pay a premium for a great set of notes to study. Not only will you get good grades, but you’ll also get paid to do it. If that’s not win-win, I don’t know what is!
#9 – Getting old tests and assignments
If possible, try to find tests and assignments from previous years to get a good idea of what subject instructors are most likely to test you on. They do not need to have the answers to be useful, and in fact, for many students they are even more useful without them because this way the student can attempt the test/assignment as a check of their knowledge, identifying the weak areas in which they are missing. you should go. go back and study again. Old tests and assignments are often available through class websites, student union websites, or college clubs or associations. A common tactic many students use for science classes with a lab section is to find a graded lab notebook from a previous year. Labs are notoriously difficult in terms of time constraints and what is expected of a student’s lab report. Having a format to follow is an incredible help and knowing where No making mistakes is invaluable too.
#8 – Start studying for exams EARLY
Between academics and your social life, time is not something you will have left over throughout your college career. But one thing you should always make time for is studying for exams. There’s nothing worse than leaving all your studying for the night before a big test or exam. Stress causes your brain to panic, and when you panic, you won’t learn as well as you normally would. Studying a little each night during the week leading up to the test will not only prepare you better, but it will eliminate most of the stress that you would have if you had left studying until the last minute. Early exam study allows a student to identify weaknesses in their understanding of it and prioritize their study accordingly. Imagine studying until the wee hours of your test day only to find that you’ve completely ignored a section that you have little to no understanding of. Don’t let that happen by studying EARLY!
#7 – Use a laptop during class if possible
If allowed, use a laptop to take notes during your lectures. Most students can type faster than they can type, so they will be able to record much more information than they normally would. If your classroom has Wi-Fi, you’ll have the added ability to research topics you’re not sure about during class breaks or breaks. If a teacher uses a word you’ve never heard of before, just hit the Alt key on dictionary.com and look it up. Or, if the lesson completely eludes you, email the teacher from your seat and set up an appointment to discuss the day’s lesson. There are many uses for a laptop during class, I’ll let you imagine the other not-so-academic uses. Many students have grown up with a computer as a staple in their lives, so it’s only natural to use it as a learning tool as well. It’s an easy transition for your brain to go from Facebook to Powerpoint! If buying a laptop is in your future, check out our article for tips on choosing a cheap student laptop.
#6 – Use your time wisely
Between classes, as well as before and after school, there are plenty of opportunities to sneak in some studies or assignments that many students don’t realize or simply don’t use. I have known people who would study on the bus to and from school. I have also met people who would combine their time at the gym with their study time! Just bring your notes and instead of watching TV and listening to your iPod, wear earplugs and read your notes. You get a workout for your body and for your brain! Always keep your notes handy and try to use any free time you have, even for simple review, to make sure you’re on top of the material. All those little moments you fill with studying will really add up to a solid understanding and you’ll find you need less studying come test time. That’s huge.
#5 – Get your questions resolved as soon as possible!
College classes tend to operate with the “snowball effect” as the primary method for topic progression. That is, the information is cumulative and the last thing you learned will be critical to understanding what comes next. So whenever you don’t understand something or have a question on the subject, get your question answered as soon as possible. Whether it’s asking during or after class, via email or phone call to the teacher, or even asking a fellow student, you need to stay on top of the topic so you’re ready for the next material that comes your way. Don’t let the holes in your understanding become wells of knowledge for the future!
#4 – Meet some of your classmates
This can be extremely difficult and stressful for many people these days. Meeting people is increasingly difficult in a world of social stigma and fear of disapproval. I’m not going to tell you how to meet people, just that when you do, the benefits will be immediately apparent. Having a partner to sit with during class, having someone to lean on to take notes on a lesson you missed, being able to bounce questions and ideas with someone, and most importantly, having someone to check your answers with. task. before you turn it in, they’re all terrific reasons to swallow your nerves and start saying “Hi! My name is…” to people in your class.
#3 – Explore other classroom resources
Many class outlines will have “optional” readings listed along with the required textbook. This is often a GREAT opportunity for easy grades and guaranteed success in that particular class. Teachers are human just like you and me. Your job is to transmit the required material and then test it. If they are using the required textbook as a reference for the learning part, where do you think they will get the material for the test part? If you said “the required textbook”, you are wrong and you need to stop thinking like a high school student! Teachers often take test questions from their favorite textbooks, resulting in quality assessments from a trusted source. Those favorite textbooks are often listed as optional reading material on the class website or course outline. Also, don’t forget about the powerful Internet. YouTube is an amazing resource for tutorials, recorded lectures from other schools, and general knowledge videos on every topic imaginable. Use Wikipedia and Google too to find additional (often better!) resources on whatever you’re struggling with.
#2 – Pre-reading reading material
I discovered this one by chance, even if it is, or should be common sense. One night I was bored. Really boring. I grabbed a textbook for a class whose lesson I had the next morning and started reading from where we stopped in the previous lesson. It was hard to understand and required a lot of concentration to get through, but the next day in class while listening to the teacher, it crystallized in my mind and it was easy from then on. It had the added benefit of engaging my long-term memory, giving me a greater and more complete understanding of the material. It makes sense if you think about it, I was essentially learning the material twice. Once independently and once with the help of an expert. These combined into a solid understanding that I still possess to this day. Now I’d love to suggest that you do this for every class, every night. But we all know that’s unreasonable, so what I suggest is that you use this technique for anything you find too difficult or abstract. That way, you’ll have a huge head start understanding and mastering the hard stuff, and plenty of time to fill in the gaps with the easy stuff!
#1 – Go to class!
While going to class sounds too simple to be our most effective study habit, it really is, and I’ll tell you why. Going to class not only keeps you disciplined and focused on what you need to do in college, but also allows you to absorb the topic simply by sitting through the lectures. If you’re an auditory learner, this is huge because just listening to the lectures will build an understanding that should be enough to pass the class itself. If you are a visual learner, seeing the notes being written on the board or reading the slides during the presentation will give you the understanding you need to pass the class. Going to class also ensures that you get the latest news on homework, tests, quizzes and exams straight from your teacher’s mouth. You don’t want to be that student who shows up to class once a week only to find out there’s a test scheduled for that day! Simply going to your classes like you’re supposed to is much more powerful than most students realize. If you look at the nine tips above, you’ll see that most of them require this step as a prerequisite, so it should also be an indicator of how important it is to attend your classes without fail.
As a student who has failed classes and received honors in classes, I can definitely say that the above tips and techniques will work for you. It’s up to you if you use some or all, but remember that college is an individual sport and you’ll only get what you’re willing to invest! I hope you found these tips useful and informative, good luck and stay stylish!