Will I be successful in college?

arcadefire1027 · 07-12-2008, 03:45 AM

I was one of those kids that always did really well in school without having to try hard or study. In fact, I've seriously never ever studied for a test in my life.

But then again, I was never all that motivated in high school. I'm pretty motivated towards college, since I have aspirations to transfer, etc.

What advice would you give? Are a lot of people like this and then their skills improve in college? I want to be successful for sure, and I honestly don't party or anything much and doubt I'll develop any habits in college.

christalena2 · 07-12-2008, 05:36 AM

You're obviously smart, and since you won't be preoccupied by bad habits, I bet you'll figure out how college works, and adapt to it. It's very different from high school. Your grade isn't spread out as much through so many tests/quizzes/assignments. Some classes are based on two or three tests, that's it! Others will have more assignments than others, but not very close to high school classes.

Just figure out your study habits. No matter how little you studied in high school, you will have to study in college. I know lots of people who breezed through AP classes, and came to ASU thinking that because its known for grade inflation and easy classes, they'd breeze here as well. Then they get their first C's...even D's.

Use your first semester to learn what type of studier/worker you are. Do you need to take breaks often? Do you need to have music on? Do you need absolute silence? Do you need to go to another place, ie a library? etc...Take what you learn, and apply it after that point, and it will get easier to schedule your school vs. EC's. I have never been more busier than while in college, with school, clubs, activities, friends, conferences/competitions, jobs, etc. I love every minute of it though, and you will too, if you just balance it all, and have a positive outlook.

I went into college knowing exactly who I wanted to become, and while here, my aspirations completely changed, and are still changing! The classes you will take, the people you will meet, and the things you will experience will hopefully help you decide who you are, and who you want to be. So don't ignore it, or fight it...embrace it!

arcadefire1027 · 07-12-2008, 04:24 PM

I've read a few times that it's a bad idea to study in your dorm, where is a good place to study?

oldelecdude · 07-12-2008, 05:29 PM

Study in the libraries and computer labs and try not to be a pompous little smartass

~maru~ · 07-12-2008, 07:53 PM

Many college courses aren't designed to bring you success through lecture-retention or class-time alone, therefore demanding more extracurricular informational studies. Prepare yourself fully for an environment that will many a times put more emphasis on your responsibilities and expect necessary hours from your days. I've small doubt that if you're at least as intent as you claim, you'll find success.

Love your direction, and give it hell! ~

OKgirl · 07-12-2008, 08:49 PM

Learn to study for tests! I thought I would breeze thru my first chemistry test so I didn't study--instead I did bad on it and it ended up killing my chance of getting an A in the class. Every test is important.

A big problem is that many students say "oh I took this class in HS and did really good, so it should be easy". Those can be the classes that surprise you and you end up not doing to great in. No matter how much you think you know about it, still pay attention and take notes and study it. Those "simple things I already know" are what kills my grade.

I think that why a lot of places say your dorm is bad to study in is because of all the distractions. Some people study in empty classrooms. Others find a less traveled hall on the way to their next class and just sit there. Others sit in the study lounges while others choose the library. I went to a commuter campus, and I often studied in my car before class started. Try different places and see which one works best for you.

arcadefire1027 · 07-12-2008, 10:51 PM

"Study in the libraries and computer labs and try not to be a pompous little smartass"

haha, don't worry, I'm very friendly

arcadefire1027 · 07-12-2008, 10:55 PM

Here's another question which maybe someone could shed light on. Do people usually bring their laptops to classes and take notes, or do most people take notes with pencil and paper?

I have a feeling someone's about to say "well see which works better for you," but I'm just wondering what most people do.

leah377 · 07-12-2008, 11:37 PM

i can remember things a lot more easily if i write them by hand, but also i very rarely read back over notes i take in class. i like to review the textbook instead. i suppose if you study your notes, it might be more efficient to type things out. i'd say it's a pretty even split between people who take notes electronically and people who do it by hand.

also, i never really studied in high school either, so it was a little bit of a challenge at first to find out what worked for me to prepare for tests when i got to college. you'll pretty much definitely have to study..college is different than HS in that respect.

GoldShadow · 07-12-2008, 11:41 PM

At my school, there are never more than 3 or 4 people in any given large (100-200 people) class taking notes on a laptop.

There are never more than 50% of those 3 or 4 people actually typing notes rather than surfing the web or playing games.

OKgirl · 07-13-2008, 12:12 AM

Not a lot of people take notes on laptops. There is a thread talking about whether notes should be typed or written by hand if you do a search you can find it. I find that there are too many other things to do on laptops, so I rather hand write them. Sometimes (but not often) I do type them out afterwards.

You already know the answer to your question: See what works for you. We can give you ideas of what to do, but you have to find the one that fits you best.

chris07 · 07-13-2008, 12:23 AM

I don't understand why people think that not partying will guarantee success. I know some really smart, hardworking people who like to go out on weekends. Just because you don't spend those extra few hours studying doesn't mean you're going to fail your classes.

Besides, just because you don't party at night doesn't mean you're not doing other social activities, right? Do you seriously think that drinking once in a while is going to rot your brain or make you unmotivated?

But to answer your question, I think a lot of people go into college not realizing what kind of effort is needed for the courses. If you learn good study habits early (like in the first week, semesters go by fast) you can do well. But remember you can't slack off-unlike in high school, you need to put in consistent energy, and study your butt off for tests (better to waste a couple hours studying more than needed than to get a D that counts for twenty percent of your final grade).

And definitely use paper and pencil (especially if you're a math/science major!). Not many people use laptops to take notes. Chances are if you see someone using one they're working on something for another class or goofing around.

christalena2 · 07-13-2008, 01:32 AM

Did anyone say that partying won't guarantee success? I never saw that...I only saw, that letting it get out of control would be a problem...or at least that's how I took it.

I did my fair share of risque weekend activities, and still pulled off a 4.0. Just don't let it get too far, which can happen...and does happen...often...especially at a school like mine.

BTW, I only used my laptop when we had in-class review days for a few classes, so I could type my study guide right there.

arcadefire1027 · 07-13-2008, 01:41 AM

"I don't understand why people think that not partying will guarantee success. I know some really smart, hardworking people who like to go out on weekends. Just because you don't spend those extra few hours studying doesn't mean you're going to fail your classes.

Besides, just because you don't party at night doesn't mean you're not doing other social activities, right? Do you seriously think that drinking once in a while is going to rot your brain or make you unmotivated?"

Whoa don't misread me there, I wasn't saying this at all. All I said was I've never been the type to party. I don't doubt that I will a little bit in college, I'm just saying I doubt it will interfere with anything else.

msl2008 · 07-13-2008, 01:50 AM

Just because you did well in high school doesn't guarantee success in college at the least. There are many factors to consider here. First off, maybe you did well in high school b/c you took easy classes or maybe your high school isn't that great. To get a better gauge for how well you would do in college, I would ask what you got on the SAT and ACT and how much you studied for them. Also, I agree that just because you don't party doesn't mean you'll get good grades. There are lots of things that could make you do bad in college. Also, it depends what your major is. If you're a psychology major (no pun intended), you'll probably have an easier type than if you're an engineer. However, also be aware that tests are a lot harder in college and you definitely won't be getting 90%+ all the time. If this were true, why would colleges have curves? Also, what school are you going to? But yeah, hard to tell right now without more information.