When I first began my first semester here at Wayne State University, I struggled with focusing on my work. There were so many different things going on at once it was very hard for me to prioritize my time and get my work done. Throughout my first semester I have learned how to adapt to this new environment and prioritize my time wisely. One of the main ways I accomplished this was by changing my study location. When I would study in my room, I would always get distracted by a variety of different things. I would always start my work and next thing I would notice I’d be on the couch watching TV. Around the second week of the semester I started going to the UGL to do my homework. Going to the UGL and studying really made a huge difference on the amount of time I spent on homework and the amount of studying I accomplished. I was able to focus a lot more in the library because I was surrounded by dozens of other students who were also studying and focusing, opposed to my room where I was surrounded by various distractions.
Another way I have been able to improve my grades and study habits is by learning how to study efficiently. Before taking FYS I would always study a lot but sometimes not get the results I was hoping for, that’s because I was not studying smart. After going through FYS I’ve learned many different ways of effective studying and a few of them have worked perfectly for me. Pre-lecture and post-lecture prep methods have worked very well for me, I learn the information much quicker and am able to recall it on tests. Being in FYS has taught me a lot and helped me a lot throughout my first semester in college. It has taught me better study techniques that have worked very well for me, it has taught me how to comprehend and learn information in a much better way, it has taught me how to focus better in class and take better notes, and it has also most of all taught me how to be a better college student. I am of course still not a perfect student in any way, I still have much to learn throughout the next three years here at Wayne State. I hope that the skills that I am learning now will be able to help me in my future career.
