With classes starting again tomorrow (omg but not really that exciting with having countless "first days of school" within the last three years), I wanted to re-remind myself and tell anyone who cares to read this how to have a successful quarter! Which feels really imperative with all that tuition money and parking fees ahh.
I started out with most of these habits which is why my good ol' first quarter went pretty awesome in fall of '11 was it?, but I later slacked off and my grades and self-esteem with understanding and such all decreased. Thankfully, last quarter I was able to reevaluate study habits and made myself go strong the whole time despite having other troubles - it is possible! Here are the guidelines on how to get those 4.0's.
1. Plan your classes and pick your professors early.
Make sure you know what you want to take, so as soon as you're allowed to register for the next quarter, you can jump on it without being indecisive and ending up on waitlists. Pick good professors for the classes you want to take by asking around - question classmates who've taken the classes you want how well their teacher taught, how the workload/tests were, etc. (But keep in mind just because it was easy/hard for them doesn't mean it will be the same for you! I've taken some good teachers despite what others said about their teaching style.) Or of course you could always check out the Rate My Professor website to confirm your decision! No matter what the class is, if you have a teacher whose teaching you don't comprehend (or who gives out tests on material that wasn't covered /ugh), it will be exceedingly difficult.
2. Balance your time.
Know how you're going to manage your time before you do anything. That being said, make sure your subjects are balanced with maybe 1 hard course and 2 intermediate, or vice versa (do not take all 3 hard courses unless you know you can handle it - you will die). You want to be able to have enough study time to conquer all you need to do for all of your classes, so plan this chunk of time out! And this is so important - to leave time to sleep!!! You can study your butt off one night, but the next time you show up for lecture it will be hard to understand anything and you will have to work twice as hard to understand the material on your own.
3. Read your textbook.
It's sometimes the most boring thing in the world, but just do it. (Try to convince yourself that this learning is exciting :D) You'll be so much less burdened later. Know what material is going to be covered beforehand (this should be listed in your syllabus, and if not, just ask your professor), and then read the textbook sections before you show up to lecture. You'll be able to follow along so much easier and won't have that huh-I-don't-get-what's-happening feeling the whole time. Take notes while you read so you can save all the important parts for review later (typing out notes is super easy and makes it esasy to find things later! ctrl+f). Of course we know and have experienced some classes that don't require reading pages upon pages and the teacher covers everything - if you find out your class is like that then whoohoo jackpot, but always do this anyways for at least the first few weeks. It's better to stay ahead than to fall behind.
4. Study and review as you go along.
Let's face it, not studying can be fun, but the chances of getting the grade we want after cramming for a test is pretty close to none. Falling behind makes us feel overwhelmed, so keep up as best you can. At the end of each chapter or section, make sure you understand all that you need to know for the exam later. You will be so much less stressed come the time of the test, and will have all you need to know ready. Use your time wisely and review with your notes that you wrote/typed from your textbook! See how this all connects? The most practical way to do this in my case is to use the notes to create flashcards and then quiz myself. I just use my mascara index cards to do this hehe.
5. Be prepared for class.
Know when exams are, when labs are, when homework is due, etc. Write this all down in a planner or calendar you look at daily so nothing will sneak up on you and you won't fall behind. If you do get assigned outside work, do it as soon as you get it. Make a daily/weekly checklist of things you need to finish, including reading chapters. If you have questions, make sure you have them when you go to class so you can ask your teacher in person, or go to their office hours. If you have a question at home that you need answered asap, email them! It's so much easier to complete a class successfully when you get your confusions cleared up. Plus, then the teachers know you for being the responsible student you are when you make the effort to communicate with them.
6. Stay motivated.
It's really easy to not want to do these things, but when you realize you feel this way, then that's the first step in picking your classes back up. If you're feeling discouraged to study, etc. remember why you want to finish school, whatever your reason may be! To work towards your dream job, to become stable to support a family someday, to make money to buy a pony and barn... We all have different motives, use them to inspire you to work hard!
I see so many people struggling after transitioning from hs to college and wish everybody knew these things earlier, but if you read these tips it's sure to be quite a bit easier - it's just up to you whether you want to follow them or not ;) Good luck with the upcoming quarter!
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