10 Tips To Studying In College

As I quickly found out first semester, college involves a lot of studying. Actually, I'd like to rephrase. Passing and getting a degree involves a lot of studying.

I wrote a blog post back in September (my first semester) called Studying: This Is My Life Now. I've learned a lot since that point in time. Whether this is due to a change in class load or a change in my ability to manage time, I can assure you that my weekends no longer consist of studying all day every day. [Maybe I was a little too paranoid about nailing this college thing down.]

So in honor of college, and studying, and every single person in the history of ever who has had to study for an exam...I present to you my 10 tips to studying in college:

1. Keep organized notes.

Trust me, it's a lot easier to study when everything is in one place, and when everything is properly labeled and organized.

2. Read the textbook.

You'd be surprised how many people I talk to who don't read the textbook. [Okay, maybe you wouldn't be surprised.] College is different than high school. The professor isn't going to lecture about every single detail regarding the subject. If you truly want to absorb information and learn, reading the textbook is vital. I came to a very grim realization the other day that in sum total, my textbooks cost a lot of money. I'm paying for these books─why wouldn't I read them?

3. Prepare in advance.

I personally don't retain much from cramming. For some people it seems to work, but I'd rather get my sleep the night before. It's important to stay organized so that you know when tests are coming up. Some people use planners to stay organized, others set reminders for themselves. I've got a note on my computer that lists all of my upcoming tests and assignments, and so far that's just the reminder I've needed.

4. Pace yourself.

Don't sit down assuming you'll get through all the material in one sitting. It really depends on the class, but this usually won't be the case. You'll want to give yourself breaks to use the restroom, or to get a drink, or even to check Facebook. Give your brain a break to refocus and your legs a chance to stretch.

5. Find a quiet place to study.

As I discovered early on, the library is a blessing from the Lord. In my post Welcome To My Second Home, The Library, the number one reason I gave for loving the library was that it's quiet. There will be times you can study quietly in your room just fine, but there will be other times that you'll discover too many distractions.

6. Don't overwhelm yourself.

It's really easy for me to glance at my notes or the study guide and freak out. There's usually a lot of material to cover! What I have to remember is that it's best to take one thing at a time, chapter by chapter. If you give yourself enough time to space your studying, there's no reason to get nervous. [If you're like me, you'll get nervous anyway.] If you're in a crunch for time, don't waste your precious moments freaking out─it doesn't help! Breathe and remember that you're not the only one studying for this test.

7. Find what works for you.

Not everything works for everyone. Some people find that annotating while they read, or taking notes in the textbook, really helps. Others find that keeping track of notes in an online document works well. Early on, try and discover what works best for you. It'll make the rest of your studies that much easier. If re-reading the textbook helps you retain more information─then re-read it! If highlighting passages in the book doesn't help you─then don't do it!

8. Write it down.

When it comes to memorization, or remembering information for short answers or essays, I find that writing it all down really helps. I'll usually write it down while memorizing, and after I've memorized, to concrete the information in my head. I figure that during the test I'll be writing it all down, so why not practice by writing it all down before hand?

9. Find friends to study with.

For one, friends put a little extra enjoyment into studying. You'll come to find that studying in groups typically takes longer than studying alone because let's be honest here─chances are you won't be hard-core studying the whole time. But if you're focused enough to actually get to work and get through material, you don't have to feel too bad about just hanging out for awhile too. Studying in groups also exposes you to new ideas. Often times the best tools I've found for remembering certain phrases or facts has come from someone else's suggestion.

10. Don't forget to sleep.

This is a big one. Early on in first semester I was just exhausted. One morning in Exploring Psychology, as I was in the process of drifting off for the third time that week, God threw a brick and my head [metaphorically speaking] and said "Jamie─pay attention." What were we talking about that day? SLEEP! Long story short kids, sleep is important. You'll be a much happier person and you'll find that focusing comes much easier.

[Interested in reading more? Check out the Blog Archive to the right to find links to my other posts.]


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