Tips Nobody Has Told You About Surviving College Academics
One of the most burdensome things for college students is just being able to get through it. For most, you’re fresh out of your teenage years and feel ready to get your life in gear, but it’s tough when you’re still focusing on passing that final exam pass. Growing up I was constantly around the college-life experience, having parents that worked at state colleges and I was joining college clubs as young as fifteen, which left me with some good connections and tons of people advising me as to how to really get by in college. Now that I’ve run the course of transitioning into college life, I’ve been able to put their advice into good use, and have come with some good results. So, here are a couple of lesser-known tips to get you to succeed academically in college.
Keep everyday notes on your phone
Staying super organized is overrated. You don’t need a full planner or a crazy filing cabinet, all you need is a few checkboxes on your phone to get you through the week. With so many opportunities, assignments, and people being thrown at you all at once, it’s often very difficult to remember every single thing. Whenever you have something you want to retain, whether that be assigned work, a good idea, or even random info, take a couple of seconds to open up your notes app and jot it down. I can’t count how many times I’ve forgotten small things throughout my day that come up later or even saved myself from unknowingly dropping an assignment in one of my classes. Once you get in the habit, little notes like these can really save you!
Communicate with your professors
It’s not uncommon that you find a professor in college that you really enjoy having classes with, but it’s just as common to run into a professor who you can’t stand. Whether you like them or not, you can’t forget that they’re just as much of a person outside of the stressful academic field. One of the best things I’ve done in college is trying to connect with all of my professors on a level that’s outside of school work, it’s helped me get to know their style of grading or teaching, and it helps you stand out as a student who really enjoys being there.
For someone who is introverted like me, it can be a little more difficult to stand out in the class, which is why eMail can be your best friend. Just by shooting your professors a quick email here and there when you’re interested further in the topic in class, or to catch up on a couple of assignments, it helps them remember who you are. If anything, you would much rather want to let your professors know you are struggling in the class, because, even if it isn’t true, not communicating can often be taken as you not caring about the grade.
Take up a hobby you haven’t tried before
At first, it sounds counter-productive to spend time on something that isn’t for the grade. But managing stress is a huge factor in managing school, and taking off some free time to learn about something you’re actually interested in can really help refresh the brain while still keeping your head in a learning mindset. On top of this, you’re in college! This is the time to really find your interests and branch out. Join a club, or set an hour aside to practice drawing or playing an instrument. It’s very important to keep your mind in a state of retaining information, but let it spend some of that time on something fun!
Always have a designated study spot (that’s outside of your room)
Ever notice how you seem to work a lot better while in the classroom? It’s because you’ve tricked your brain into seeing that room as the time to work. When I come home after a long day of school, my brain usually likes to shut off for a bit, but after it does that, it’s very hard to get back into the right mindset. Because of this, it is very important that you separate your home and school as much as you can. Use the same classroom trick you use in class and apply it to your school’s library, a specific corner of one of your favorite coffee shops, or just a community study room. There are also a lot of places near campuses that go late into the night just for this reason! So don’t be afraid to hang out for as long as you need to get it done.
Get in contact with your peers
“Phoning a friend” is a real thing. Everyone in is this together, so it never hurts to work together to get it done. Study groups are one solid way to do this, but it also helps to just get people’s emails or numbers. You’d be surprised at how many people are in the same boat as you when it comes to reaching out for peer reviews or help, if you sit next to someone in a couple of your classes, or know somebody who is majoring in the same thing as you, get in contact! You don’t have to be best friends with them, but at the end of the day you’re both trying to get the same grade, so why not give each other some help every once and awhile?
I’ve had many times where someone I worked with a couple of terms ago happened to know some of the info on a class I was in that current term. Networking really works, and college is the best place to start.
