You learn a lot in college, both inside and outside of the classroom. For many first-year college students, studying can be a struggle at first. College classes are structured much differently than high school classes are, and adapting to this can be quite difficult. Here are 13 things any college student can do to succeed in their classes.
1. Take good notes.
Zoning out during lectures probably isn’t a good idea. Turn off your phone, stay off of Facebook and focus on what your professor is discussing. If you take good notes, everything you’ll need for exams will be right in front of you. It’s also probably a good idea to go over your notes after class and create an outline of what you covered.
2. Review your notes regularly.
Don’t just go over your notes right before a big exam. Take a half hour or so each day after class and review any notes or handouts you may have. Not only will this making reviewing for a big test easier, but you’ll also truly master the content - not just learn it for the test.
3. Attend study sessions.
Many classes offer additional study sessions to help students succeed. Take full advantage of these! During study sessions, you can meet with your classmates and your TA to compare notes and gain a better understanding of the content.
4. Get a study buddy.
During the first couple weeks of class, find someone who to study with. It could be a friend, or just a random classmate that you meet along the way. The two of you can compare notes, quiz each other and build a friendship while ensuring you both do well in the class.
5. Quizlet.
If you haven’t used quizlet.com before, it’s going to become your best friend in college. You can make online flashcards, play study games and create quizzes for yourself. Any college student who has used this website before would agree that it is a huge help.
6. Get involved on campus!
Studies have shown that students who are involved in extra curricular activities do better in the classroom. Go Greek, join an intramural team or join an organization related to your interests or major. Being more involved will motivate you to do better in school, too - just don’t overwhelm yourself!
7. Attend class!
I cannot stress the importance of going to every class enough! If you miss class, you’re missing out on crucial information that you may never learn again. Yes, an extra nap or time spent with friends may sound better than a history lecture, but if you want to do well you need to go to these classes.
8. Do the extra credit.
Extra credit is rarely offered in most classes, so if you’re ever given the opportunity, take full advantage of it. Sometimes it may be as simple as taking a survey while at other times it may be writing an extra essay, but those bonus five or 20 points are really going to help you in the long run.
9. Do every assignment.
In classes where you have homework, you need to complete every assignment and give them all an honest effort. Slacking on homework is just going to require you to study harder and do better on exams, which can be quite challenging at times.
10. Take the course that is right for you.
If early morning classes are better for you, take those. If you can’t handle the hour and a half Tuesday/Thursday lectures, avoid them. Don’t settle for classes that aren’t right for you just because of a professor with a good online rating or because your roommate is in that class too. Sign up for the sections that are best for you.
11. Keep the same effort all semester.
Don’t be the kind of student who is super organized and a good studier just during the first few weeks. Continue to highlight your notes, use your planner and review every night instead of giving it up after awhile like a lot of your peers might.
12. Keep a positive outlook.
Don’t get so down on yourself for one bad grade! Use your failures to motivate you to do differently next time. Focus more on studying a different area of the content or try a different study method. Accept the fact that you didn’t do as well as you’d like and use that to motivate you for the future.
13. Give yourself a break.
Locking yourself away in the library for six hours a day studying your butt off isn’t healthy. Odds are, this is just going to cause you to become overwhelmed and have a breakdown. Treat yourself. Take a study break and watch some Netflix, go on an afternoon walk with some friends, get yourself some Starbucks as a treat. Reward yourself for all the hard work you’re doing.
