1.Plan out your life during syllabus week
Syllabus week for most college students is considered “party week”, because for the most part, no homework is given and you usually are only in classes for a solid 15-20 minutes. I highly recommend after you get out of classes each day, to take the syllabi’s you have obtained throughout the school day and write down all the important dates (tests, quizzes, homework assignment, and project due dates) in a planner. Another thing, GET A PLANNER. I would be so lost without my multiple calendars and planners. They hold my life.
2.Be engaged immensely during the first few weeks of class
Statistics are proven that if you remain engaged during syllabus week and the few weeks after, your brain will be engaged in that class throughout the whole semester. Now this doesn’t mean slack off directly after the first few weeks go by. I totally get it, there are some days where all I want to do is lay in bed. But we must push through. Before you know it, finals will be here, and that means SUMMER!
3.Make your assignments meaningful
I know, I know, homework sucks, I get it. Say your teacher assigns you a research paper, you have two weeks to do it, and you’re allowed to choose your topic (as long as it pertains to the class). Find a topic that is meaningful to you so that the assignment becomes more enjoyable! For example, for my music history class we have to do a final research paper, and I chose to talk about the opera “Don Giovanni” because it is one of my favorite operas! Granted, it’s the only opera I like lol…
4.Get used to having group discussions about your homework, or upcoming tests with other students
Honestly, doing homework/studying for tests is super helpful in my opinion! So, grab some popcorn, a group of friends who are ready to study, and get ready to ace that next test!
5.Send assignments in advance to teachers, to get critiqued and reviewed
Some teachers don’t prefer you do this. Make sure you ask the professor in advance if they’ll check your assignments. It’s a really helpful resource.
6.When using flashcards to study, memorize forwards and backwards
7.Write everything down! Have multiple notebooks, calendars, and to-do lists.
My life is written down in 3 different calendars, 1 notebook, and a plethora of to-do lists. It may sound kind of sad, and nerdy, but I swear by this method. Do it.
8.GET SLEEP
Alright, I’m going to be honest, I’m not good at following this tip. There will be nights where I go to bed at 10am (I know, I’m a grandma), and there will be some nights where I don’t go to bed until god knows when. Sleep is super important, especially when you’re studying for a test. Your brain will remember more information with a good night sleep, rather than pulling an all-nighter.
9.Get your assignments done early, don’t procrastinate.
This one is self-explanatory lol. Just don’t procrastinate.
10.Go to office hours
As a freshman in college, I was terrified to go to a professor’s office for office hours. You just need to get over this fear, because it’s not that big of a deal. Your professor is being payed to help you!! Use the resource!!
11.Appreciate the free time that you have
As a music major, free time is often non-existent. Granted, there will be days (like my Friday’s) where I only have one class. I let my Fridays consist of getting my school work done (when I’m feeling up to it, and not dying of stress), and then I see where the rest of the day takes me. Whether it’s heading down to Eastview mall, going to Pittsford Plaza, eating pizza with my friends, or just grabbing dinner at the CAB with my friends, free time is a major necessity and a stress reliever!
12.Network, network, network!!
Oh my gosh, I cannot stress enough how important it is to network. In my career field, we have a winter conference at the convention center downtown, where us college music education majors can connect with different music teachers in the surrounding areas. It’s a really cool experience!!
13.Get your feet wet in the field you’re studying
Whether it be going to an audition, observing a high school choir, or applying for a substitute teacher position, experience is a huge part of learning that field.
14.Find out what your favorite stress reliever is. Trust me, it’s important.
Sometimes, you need to just treat yourself (“Treat yo self 2011”- Parks and Rec). College students are notorious for getting stressed. Whether it be getting ice cream, doing a face mask, or scrolling through Instagram, do what you got to do to relax. My personal favorite stress reliever is to simply, take a nap. I feel like all my stress goes away once I close my eyes haha!
