I want to know how other college students have improved themselves academically. Not what I can do based on what sounds good or may seem good (like do the readings, etc.) but what you have actually done and how that has improved your academic standing? Any secrets to academic success you would like to share?
For me the big difference was between undergrad versus graduate school. In graduate school, I (i) Tried to sit as close as possible to the front row in every class; (ii) Paid attention; (iii) Did homework as close as possible to the day that it was assigned, rather than the day that it was due; (iv) Did ALL homework; (v) Kept up and usually read ahead of all reading assignments, often by at least a chapter.
Also, in graduate school Saturday late morning through late afternoon was for homework. Similarly, Sunday afternoon and evening was for homework. Weekday evenings were for homework. Friday and Saturday nights were for fun.
The result was that I was better prepared when walking into each class. This means that I was able to understand more of what was taught in every class (usually everything).
My grades went up. Also, I enjoyed graduate school a lot more.
However, the really big difference was that in graduate school I new why I was there, and I wanted to do it.
For me, the big contributor was reading everything whether it was related to a specific class. Additionally, I did not skimp by such things as jumping too quickly before broadly exploring a topic before choosing the topic of a paper or looking up something that interested me just because it interested me.Take every opportunity to learn or learn more about. You will only.be in schooling for a few more years so learn and think and even take extra classes related to something new and interesting.
Thanks for sharing.
So to do well, consider the following:
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GO TO CLASS, BUY THE BOOK, READ THE CHAPTERS, AND DO THE HOMEWORK!
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Go to Professor’s office hours early in the semester and Ask this question: “I know this is a really difficult class-- what are some of the common mistakes students make and how can I avoid them?”
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If you have problems with the homework, go to Prof’s office hours. If they have any “help sessions” or “study sessions” or “recitations” or any thing extra, go to them.
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Form a study group with other kids in your dorm/class.
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Don’t do the minimum…for STEM classes do extra problems. You can buy books that just have problems for calculus or physics or whatever. Watch videos on line about the topic you are studying.
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Go to the writing center if you need help with papers/math center for math problems (if they have them)
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If things still are not going well, get a tutor.
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Read this book: How to Become a Straight-A Student: The Unconventional Strategies Real College Students Use to Score High While Studying Less by Cal Newport. It helps you with things like time management and how to figure out what to write about for a paper, etc.
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If you feel you need to withdraw from a class, talk to your advisor as to which one might be the best …you may do better when you have less classes to focus on. But some classes may be pre-reqs and will mess your sequence of classes up.
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For tests that you didn’t do well on, can you evaluate what went wrong? Did you never read that topic? Did you not do the homework for it? Do you kind of remember it but forgot what to do? Then next time change the way you study…there may be a study skill center at your college.
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How much time outside of class do you spend studying/doing homework? It is generally expected that for each hour in class, you spend 2-3 outside doing homework. Treat this like a full time job.
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At first, don’t spend too much time other things rather than school work. (sports, partying, rushing fraternities/sororities, video gaming etc etc)
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If you run into any social/health/family troubles (you are sick, your parents are sick, someone died, broke up with boy/girlfriend, suddenly depressed/anxiety etcetc) then immediately go to the counseling center and talk to them. Talk to the dean of students about coordinating your classes…e.g. sometimes you can take a medical withdrawal. Or you could withdraw from a particular class to free up tim for the others. Sometimes you can take an incomplete if you are doing well and mostly finished the semester and suddenly get pneumonia/in a car accident (happened to me)…you can heal and take the final first thing the next semester. But talk to your adviser about that too.
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At the beginning of the semester, read the syllabus for each class. It tells you what you will be doing and when tests/HW/papers are due. Put all of that in your calendar. The professor may remind you of things, but it is all there for you to see so take initiative and look at it.
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Make sure you understand how to use your online class system…Login to it, read what there is for your classes, know how to upload assignments (if that is what the prof wants).
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If you get an assignment…make sure to read the instructions and do all the tasks on the assignment. Look at the rubric and make sure you have covered everything.
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If you are not sure what to do, go EARLY to the professors office hours…not the day before the assignment is due.
You might think that this is all completely obvious, but I have read many stories on this and other websites where people did not do the above and then are asking for help on academic appeal letters.
One thing I told my sister…know whether it’s better for you to study alone or with others.
Sometimes I benefit greatly from going over material with classmates and friends and we help each other learn. Other times, I do better reviewing on my own. It may depend on the class or just your mood at the time. But sometimes doing the wrong one at the wrong time can ruin your efficiency and waste your time.
Also understand sometimes studying with certain people is just a BAD idea and don’t let yourself get peer pressured into procrastinating. I told my best friend straight up “Hey I love you but I can’t ever study with you” lol. He’s a terrible terrible procrastinator and distracts me way too much.
It’s not really about HOW LONG you study. It’s more about just HOW you study.
All of the tips above are useful.
One thing that I noticed my D did that I did not was to use free time in the afternoon wisely. She would go to the library to study or do work if she had a few hours between classes, if she finished afternoon classes early that day etc. I think because she used this time well she was able to find time to do research with a professor and be involved in a lot of activities in college such as the orchestra, theater, sorority, community service all of which greatly added on to her experience there.
Also be sure to get a calendar system you are comfortable with (can be online or a week-at-a-glance type of thing) and keep track of when you have classes, when homework/papers are due, when exams/quizzes are scheduled etc. You need to understand and manage your schedule. Give yourself plenty of lead time when doing a big paper, studying for an exam etc.
If you feel you need support get it. Many colleges have writing centers, math centers, office hours for professors. These are all resources to be used if needed.
Of course the above advice would be useless without doing things such as attending class, staying on top of the work, studying, getting extra help if required etc.
Take frequent breaks when studying, get up and do something active. Works wonders.
Taking care of myself so that I’m happy and healthy and able to do well in school.
For me, this is: allowing myself to watch Netflix and eat popcorn for 6 hours on a school night because I had a stressful day and need to decompress; going out on a Friday night and laughing with my friends, again breaking up the long day; buying a $4 latte at Starbucks to get my day started; going for a drive with the windows down and enjoying the weather; going for a nice walk around town listening to my favorite music; going home for the weekend to spend some quality time with my family and pets; and so on.
By doing things like this, I am putting myself first so that everything else can follow smoothly. It’s so easy to sacrifice your own happiness for school, but it’s important to always, always take care of yourself.
Very good advice! I know from experience I work MUCH better studying alone and so do my friends. When we study together we get distracted and just start talking about non-academic stuff. There is really no point to studying with friends for me, especially since we are not in the same classes. I love them but “studying” together does more harm than good and just waste time.