The first year of college is tough for almost every student. You have to adjust to a new environment, learning style, and taking care of everything by yourself. It is better to be prepared and adopt study strategies that will help you to be more productive. Here are some things I wish I knew as a fresher that can help you with that.
1. Organize Your Resources
It is pretty easy to get lost when you deal with huge amounts of new information. That’s why organization is the key. First of all, get to know all educational resources available to you.
- The library is your best friend; check what books you can get there before spending money and time finding them online. Learn the system and how to find the sources you need;
- Check out the online library of your college and what can be found there;
- Save online study databases to your bookmarks to find articles and journals fast;
- Also, find helpful sites with study tips and additional information on your courses;
- Use Google Scholar and advanced searching techniques to save time on research.
If you wonder “Can someone do my homework for me cheap?” The answer is also yes, you can. You only need to contact an essay writing service EssayPro for it. Make sure that you have all our online and offline resources right beside you. And do not forget that you can always ask for help from your classmates, professors, or professionals.
2. Find Out What Works For You
There is no ultimate study style that is effective for every student. We are all different in this regard. So it is a good idea to find the methods and things that work for you to apply them. For example:
- Decide what study space is the best. Organize it so you can always be focused;
- What is your most efficient learning time? Evening, morning, or daytime?
- Are you a visual, audio, or tactile learner?
- Do you prefer to listen to music or be in silence?
All of that helps to advance your concentration and use the techniques that are suitable for you.
3. Adopt Spaced Practice
Here is one of the top mistakes all students do – try to remember things the night before an exam or test. In reality, it is extremely unproductive. You’ll only get tired from an all-nighter and feel exhausted. The worst part is that the information remembered in such a way won’t stay long in your brain.
Spaced practice means that spacing out your learning over time. It is much more effective to read something, take a break, and then read it again. This process helps to strengthen the memory and retain information for longer.
4. Retrieve Information
Another great strategy is bringing information up from your mind before checking with materials. When you recall something without looking at your notes and books, you’ll truly learn it.
For example, you need to remember several definitions. The next day after the study session, try to retrieve what you’ve gotten to know the day before. Retrieve those terms from your mind first and then control whether your memory is in line with the notes.
5. Elaborate and Explain
Another great technique is explaining concepts to someone else. For example, your younger siblings, classmates, or friends. It is especially great if they know nothing about this subject. This way, you’ll need to explain it to them in simple terms so that they can understand.
While you do that, you’ll get a better comprehension of the terms yourself. It helps to boost memory, get a real grip on a subject, and be more invested in it. Elaborate with as many details as possible.
6. Switch Between Ideas
It might seem counterintuitive, but it works like a charm. Imagine you have 15 math problems to solve. There are 10 examples of the same problem and 5 of the other one. It seems logical to start with one type of problem and then go to the next one. But you’ll actually learn more if you switch them up. It endorses the skill as well as the ability to switch and think critically. And it will be extremely helpful on any exam or test.
7. Do References from Start
Here is some advice for writing any paper – do not leave references to the last minute. Yes, it is arguably the worst part of it and you probably do not want to deal with it right away. But if you leave out, it is going to be hard to remember and find all the sources all over again.
When researching, create a document with all the sources you read and links to them. Make a reference to those sources. So you can just copy the references afterward to the final paper.
8. Take Care of Yourself
Physical and mental well-being is crucial for academic success. It might look like you can pull all-nighters and survive on a coffee and chips diet, but it is going to get to you sooner than you think. Every unhealthy habit and decision will result in decreased cognitive function and worsened mood.
It is not a secret that students tend to have a huge amount of stress, experience anxiety, and even depression. Adopt a healthy lifestyle from day one. Exercise, eat well and regularly, sleep 8 hours, and have some time for yourself. Use unwinding techniques, like breathing, meditation, walking, or simply talking to friends.
In Summary
College can seem scary but it is quite manageable. What you need is decent planning and management to get it all done well. Be cautious of what works for you, adopt great learning techniques, and stay healthy.
