College is an entirely different situation than high school. Classes consist of far fewer grades, but they are worth it when you are done. Some classes have only a midterm and final. This being said, it is important to stay caught up. Do not tell yourself, "I'll read the assignment later," because often times you merely end up cramming right before the test; research indicates that cramming is not the best (nor is it the worst) method of studying[1].
Tips
- Everyone hits a point that they don't understand, or has a paper they're frustrated enough to quit over. Don't let that one obstacle ruin you- get help from your professor, your study group, whatever, and solve the problem. Quit only after the problem is solved, if you still want to.
- Listening to calming classical music and chewing gum while you study are helpful items that can help you remember things better. If you don't like classical music, trance is another style of music that stimulates the brain, light jazz is also good because it makes you productive, and new age to relax your mind. Music that is played at a rate about 60-80 beats for minute creates Alpha waves, which is the mind at a state of relaxation and that may help concentration. Try to find music that has minimal words, unless you are the type that can concentrate with music with lyrics. Look for classical and new age works that have keywords such as Adagio, Andante, Dolce, Pastorale, etc.
- Do the subject you don't like first, and move towards the easier tasks. You'll last longer and get more done. It is best to study for class with the most credits. 4 and 5 credit classes have the highest tuition and have the most bulk for assignments, and may require a lot of memorization and analysis.
- If highlighters and Post-It notes help you organize and stay focused don't hesitate to put them in the budget. It's a small investment, and you'll be committed to USING your investment,
- If you don't study for an exam, even though you should have; don't beat yourself up. It actually makes you avoid studying. Instead, tell yourself that you *will* do better next time. Make yourself determined. When questioning on whether or not to study, remember the time that you didn't and felt terrible after the exam. use this to motivate yourself.
- Always give yourself a break time and always plan things out one by one. Viewing three tests as one obstacle can become overwhelming.
- You remember things better in short amounts of time - do not study for 4 hours; you will only forget half the things you read. Study for an hour, then take a 5 - 10 minute break to walk around, and study for another hour. Be committed to making the break work for you too- don't get distracted for an hour, make sure you get back within the time you've set for yourself.
- A very wise professor once said, "How and when to study? Study like there is always going to be an exam the next day. That way when there is, you've been studying for it for weeks."
- The problem about studying isn't the actual studying itself, rather it's the getting started part. Most people find that once they have gotten started, it's much easier to continue.
- If you know yourself well enough that you know that you probably won't study for an exam until the few hours before it, then you could try fixing this by tricking yourself. Write it in your calendar and convince yourself the exam is on a certain day, when it's really a week later. If you get into that mode, it's much easier to start studying and continue studying.
- Get excited! Be awesome!
- Listening to music can also enhance your study ability by a lot it doesn't matter what you listen to. People say listening to music keeps the thoughts in your head the next time you study because you remember the music and what you have studied while listening to the music.
- If you suspect you have ADHD, try to get some help.
- During all nighters you'll lose as much information from sleepiness as you'll learn from the extra time spent. Stay up late, but make sure you're budgeting at least 6 hours for sleep, even on your night before the big exam. Your brain processes what you've learned in your sleep.
- Do not study if you're tired. But don't go with "I'm tired" all the time. Sleep, or go out and exercise, and start again.
- Don't abuse substances too much. Don't use tobacco. Often times, caffeine as well will lead to jitters making it impossible to get any decent studying in.
- If you're going to a party, budget the party AND the sick hangover time as down time in your schedule. Don't try to work through- you'll waste your energy and get frustrated.
- Stay away from distractions while you are studying like computers, TV, non-soothing music (music with lyrics can distract you), etc.
- Do not cram; there is no point in trying to, because you will only remember very little and it won't help your future career because you'll have rotten recall.
