How High School Failed You

For those of you out there who are about to start your new college career, I have this to say: you don’t know how to study for college classes. Period. High school has never prepared students well enough for the rigors of college courses. Lectures are boring and the material is simple enough to start your studying the night before a test. Unfortunately, that’s not going to cut it in college. Here are five study tips that I feel will get you better prepared for a successful college career.

Studying with distractions isn’t really studying at all and the biggest distraction that all students have is their computer. Though some professors post studying material on the web, most of the time old fashioned reading and taking notes is all that is required. Even if your computer is turned off and it’s still a big temptation then I would suggest going to the library.

Now I know that professors are all different and some are just horrible lecturers. Regardless of this, reviewing your lecture notes every week is a great way to absorb material at a steady pace. Reading the text book along side your lecture notes can help round out the material and give you insight into what the professor may test on.

When it comes to studying for test always give yourself at least a week in advance to prepare for midterms. Seven days should be enough time to review lecture notes, textbook notes, old homework, and sample midterms. Keep in mind that sample midterms are never representative of the midterm you will be taking.

Though I didn’t learn this study tip until much later in my college career, doing your homework is actually the best way to understand any course material. Since homework is typically assigned once a week, it allows you to slowly absorb material. Copying your buddy’s homework is the easy route but when it comes to midterm time, your buddy is going to blow you away with their score.

The appeal of group studying is that two brains are always better than one. I do believe that group studying can help when everyone in the group doesn’t understand a certain problem. Unfortunately most study groups consist of people at varying levels of understanding and those at the lower end always seem to be left behind. Group studying can also be a distraction in itself and can hinder you since breaks become more frequent and socializing is inevitable. Study individually before venturing into a study group, this will give you a chance to catch up to speed and contribute productively.