I came into college from a large public school that, while providing some AP classes, did nothing to prepare me for classwork. I never studied earlier than the night before an exam (more often, I made flashcards on the way to school and studied them between classes) and I spent most class periods pretending to pay attention while playing hangman in my notebook with friends.
The transition from high school to college-level coursework is simple for some (you lucky bastards who went to a school that actually challenged you) and impossible for others (me). I never learned how to actually “study” for exam, when to start on a paper, how to cite sources, or even how to properly read a textbook (I still don’t really know how to do that). After almost four years of trying numerous study methods, here are my tips for succeeding in college.
Understand your strengths (and admit to things you suck at)
This is something that took me three and half years to do. I’m serious. I always knew writing was my strength, and that I would rather write a paper than study for a test any day. I liked anatomy in high school (because I love gross stuff like dissecting cats and hunting down bugs) and decided majoring in biology would give me better career prospects and make my life more “meaningful.” I was going to save the world (or something like that).
The only problem is…I suck at science. I freely admit this. I am terrible at memorizing, I hate looking at graphs, microscopes give me headaches, measuring annoys me, and anything that I can’t see with the naked eye boggles my mind. None of these charming personality traits are conducive with a scientist.
Studying biology for four years was fascinating, but in the way that watching a Lady Gaga video is fascinating: you don’t really ever understand what’s going on, but it looks pretty cool. Now that I’m graduating, I admit my science background has prepared me to handle the type of immersion writing I want to do for a career, has changed my perspective on the world, and has filled my head with a ton of useful facts to spout off to my friends (and this blog). But it wasn’t fun. I spent most of college feeling like a complete idiot because I was trying so hard to be good at something I’m not. I wasn’t writing.
Admit your weaknesses when you discover them. Accept your inability to spell or that algebra gives you migraines. These weaknesses will help you succeed, because you will be forced to deal with them. Once I admitted I wasn’t good at memorizing concepts and applying them on tests, I was able to find people and techniques to overcome that. I still struggle with my biology courses more than many of my peers in my major, but I recognize that because it doesn’t come naturally, I have to commit a lot more time to my studying to succeed. And there is no shame in that.
Start with the hardest stuff first
We all like to be comfortable. If you say you don’t, I’m calling BS. We like to be in familiar territory at least some of the time, and when it comes to classwork, this can be a big problem. When you are studying for a test, there are always bits of information you understand better than others, either because it’s easier or because it’s more interesting to you. I’ve noticed that these are the things I tend to focus on, the things I’ll repeat and look over more, because they give me an ego boost. The harder stuff I continually put off, telling myself I’ll turn to it once I have a good grasp on everything else.
No. Don’t do this. If you do, you will get 60’s on your tests. It sucks, but sit down and find the material causing you the most dread, whether it’s the introduction for your paper or that weird equation in calc class. Learn this stuff first. That way, when you do, you can relieve yourself by reviewing the easier work. I guarantee you will study longer, because you’ll be so happy to move onto easier things, you won’t mind doing them (as much).
Teach it to someone else
I’ve heard from many professors and fellow classmates that if you know something well, you can teach it to someone else. I can attest to this simply from writing this blog. I have my non-science savvy friends read over my scientific posts, and if they can understand what I’m trying to say, I know I’ve succeeded. And then, whenever someone asks me a question about something I’ve written about, I find I can easily retrieve it from my memory without having to go back and refresh. I still remember how Adderall affects the body even after writing my very first post here about it last fall.
If you can’t find a poor soul to torture with your homework, try teaching it to an empty room. Go to a classroom, write it out on the board, and talk out loud. You are forced to hear yourself speak, and can more easily identify the areas that need work. Besides, you can’t fall asleep as easily if you stand up while studying.
Don’t compare yourself with other people
Every time someone asks me how I did on a test, I want to knock him over the head with my textbook. It is no one else’s business what you got on a test, and its none of your business how that person did either. Stop it. School trains us to compete with each other, to compare GPAs like guys sizing each other up in the locker room, and the only thing it does is give you an ego or make you feel like a piece of shit. Set your own goals for your grades. In my organic chemistry class, I was gunning for a 60 on every test. Yeah, that is barely passing (even for a scaled-up class like chemistry) but it meant that I understood more than half the material. Organic chemistry was a total bitch for me, and I adjusted accordingly.
Did anyone else know my standards? Certainly not the girls I heard complaining about getting 80s. And you know what? I refused to let myself feel stupid for getting a 70 on a quiz. In fact, I celebrated. And by not telling other people, I didn’t give them the right to judge me either.
Everyone wins.
We all have different ways of studying, and that is okay. Some people need to write things over and over. Others need to mutter to themselves. Some (crazy) people only need to look at a page to remember it. Don’t be afraid to play around with different studying techniques, and ask others what works for them. You might find a new way to study. And don’t get frustrated if you bomb a test or can’t write a coherent paper if your life depended on it. We have all been there (yeah, even that kid in your class who always screws up the curve. He either sucks at another subject, or has no social life).
The post I Learned The Hard Way So You Don’t Have To (Study Tips From A Senior) appeared first on The Campus Companion.