There are many different people who could be reading this article and looking for a piece of advice from someone who got through college without completely falling apart. Perhaps you are a high school student, preparing for your final months in high school before you move on to the one of the greatest passages in life—your freshman year of college. Maybe you are a student who is starting college later, because you took a couple of years off to find yourself before diving back into academics and dedicating each waking moment to your studies. Maybe you are transferring from a lackluster community college to an intense university. Or, maybe you are a returning student who is coming back to give academia another try. Whatever type of student you are, you are going to need the best tips possible to help guide you through the complex, tiresome, unforgettable journey that is academia. That's where I come in, a college graduate who struggled through a lackluster community college experience and transferred to a serious university that landed me a scholarship, multiple opportunities in honor societies, and an outstanding GPA. I'm not in any way trying to brag or say that how I worked through college is perfect, or that what I say is the end-all for advice about surviving academia. It wasn't easy getting to where I was; I had to work hard every single day, I had to sacrifice parts of my social life, and I had to put in the extra effort of meeting with professors and study groups. Thankfully, I had the time and support from family and friends to achieve these goals and I understand that not every student has that opportunity. But, I hope that if some of these tips are applied in your life, it will help you succeed like it did for me.
1. Don't procrastinate papers
Prepare weeks in advance for a paper. Get the research done early on in the semester if you know that you have a midterm paper and plan out how you are going to write the paper. You might remember doing this in high school over the time span of a couple of weeks. Well, you should do the same for college papers. If you're not into planning your papers out, write it weeks in advance anyway so you can bring it to the writing center for edits. If should be making the time for writing multiple drafts for your papers so that they can be squeaky clean when you hand them in.
2. Avoid all-nighters the day before an exam
Being exhausted and completely drained is going to defeat the purpose of all night studying and ruin all of your effort.
3. Educate yourself beyond the textbook
Go above and beyond, and educate yourself outside of the textbook. If you do research outside of your school work, it could peak your interest in the subject even further, and help you do better with assignments and exams because you've invested in the topic.
4. Attend networking events for your major
Almost all colleges have networking events during lunch hour or during the day where they may discuss something going on in the major, or topics that have to do with your major. Going to these events can give you bonus points with professors, if they see you, can help you become more interested, and can broaden your understanding of the major. It's also the perfect place to network with faculty, other students, and speakers at the events.
5. Meet with your professors frequently
Become friendly with your professors and show them that you are really interested in their class and the topics. Put in the effort of showing that this is important to you, and they will usually reciprocate by bumping you a few points with participation points. But, it isn't always about getting a few extra points. It's way more beneficial to be on a friendly basis with your professors because they can write your grad school letters, refer you for a job, and provide you with a multiplicity of opportunities.
6. Don't ignore your health
Eat healthy, stay hydrated, and don't replace sleep with excess coffee. Always put your health first, and everything else will follow.
7. Always think positively
Thinking positively can lead to performing positively. Even if you didn't study as hard as you wanted to for that exam, thinking positively can still lead to a better outcome because positive thinking results in better memory and recall.
8. Put assignments and exam dates on multiple reminders
Mark up your calendar, buy a planner, leave yourself post-it notes. Seriously, do not let anything slip under the rug. For all of my exams, papers, and homework assignments, I would write them in multiple locations around my room, in my folder, and on my iPhone so that there was no way to forget or to procrastinate.
9. Highlight important things. You will forget!
Highlights are your friend, not your enemy. If you think you're going to remember that important detail you read about in Chapter 5, you likely won't. Make sure to highlight the crucial stuff, post-it-note the quotes you know will be on an exam, and read definitions five times over.
10. Abide to the psychology of dressing well
I've spent a good amount of time wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt to class, but when it comes to exam day, dressing well and feeling fresh can actually have a hugely positive impact on how you perform. Dressing lazy can lead to feeling lazy, which results in less recall ability. I'm not saying you have to wear professional attire, but wearing sweatpants or pajamas on the day of an exam could have a negative impact.
