Something that never occurred to me until my freshman year of college is that I had absolutely no organizational skills in my life. In high school, it was fairly easy to do well. You attended classes, maybe studied for a few hours, and then you would earn an A+ on your test. I can guarantee that most college students would call taking your first college test without tweaking any of your former study habits, a very rude awakening.
These are my tips to help you succeed in college!
Organizational Tips:
- Buy/install a physical/digital planner and actually write things down in it!
- Use a pen and paper to plan out your “to-do” list for the week
- Set realistic deadlines to watch your asynchronous lectures by or when you should actually start on that daunting essay
- Invest in a virtual calendar if you know you never check your planner
- Really get to know the syllabus
- Go to virtual office hours if you’re unsure of any material and/or have questions (Trust me, most professors are nice enough to address every ‘stupid’ concern we might have and with class being virtual, they will definitely appreciate you stopping by)
Study tips:
- Designate a specific study space for yourself
- Try to figure out what type of learner you are
- Use the “Do Not Disturb” feature on your devices
- “Spaced repetition” – study a little bit everyday before the test instead of cramming the night before
- Listen to different genres of music while studying, not just music that you’re familiar with
- Organize virtual study groups with either people in your classes or your friends
In my opinion, it’s a lot easier to be productive when you have your study habits and organizational skills infused together. It also can make you feel more at peace with yourself, so your sanity will be a lot higher. Don’t we all need that in college? Finals are coming up if they haven’t already started for you, so make sure you’re taking time to prioritize yourself and your needs!
Good luck on finals, Comets!
