The first day of college marks a whole new adventure in our lives––it brings excitement, anticipation, joy, nerves, and to some extent, even anger (definitely looking at you, 8 AM classes). But after a few weeks, you'll reach the end of this colorful rainbow ride, and instead of a pot of gold, you'll only find one fact staring you in the face. College is not a piece of cake.
You too might have underestimated how hard it would turn out to be, especially when it comes to balancing studies with extracurriculars, social life and your 'me' time. However, no matter how daunting college might be, it is not impossible to achieve 4.0s while still being the coolest person in the room at the next frat party. Here are some things you can do to become the perfect student you always desired to be.
1. Be Presentable (and be present!)
Many successful people follow the same morning routine every day: they wake up, get dressed and reach their appointments on time. In order to get into your professor's good graces, always try to give the impression that you actually want to be there by putting some time into your appearance. You should also make an effort to reach classes on time and to attend all the lectures. Believe me, showing up every day on time actually helps!
2. Take Meticulous Handwritten Notes
Studies have shown that our brains retain more information when we take handwritten notes instead of typing them out on our laptops or other smart devices. So, the next time that you go to your Medieval English lecture, take out a notebook and a pen and jot down everything that you can. Even if most of the information may not seem important right now, who knows. It might come in handy when you're out of ideas for your final paper.
3. Interact in class
Participating in classroom discussions can really help you succeed, as when you interact with the class as a whole, you are not only adding to the conversation––and impressing your professor––but are also actively listening to what others have to say. Never be shy to ask questions; professors usually love answering them and you'll be helping your classmates who might have had the same questions too. Definitely, take advantage of office hours––your professors and TAs are there to help you!
4. Plan Your Week Out
Buy a planner (or use Google Calendar) and plan out your entire week, making time for homework, extra studying, clubs, parties and hanging out with friends. Keep some slots of time unoccupied in case of unforeseen events and do not overload your schedule with too much of work, as you might not be able to keep up with it. Also, keep some time after studying to read a book, listen to music or whatever helps you relax and rejuvenate. If you have a fluctuating work schedule, you can choose to plan out the next day or two instead of the entire week. And remember, it is okay to be flexible sometimes.
5. Study Smart
Instead of wasting five hours a day studying for exams, you can accomplish the task with probably even better results using smart techniques. There are various techniques such as flash cards, mnemonics, association and memory palaces for memorization and mind maps, flowcharts and spider diagrams for brainstorming and organization. You can also use the Pomodoro Technique to carefully manage your study time along with breaks in between. Remember to never study on your bed; your brain associates the bed with sleep and hence, you will not be able to fully concentrate. Try to finish the harder tasks first to motivate yourself with the easier tasks (and even treats!) later.
6. Find Your Biological Prime Time
Biological Prime Time is the time of the day when you are at your best levels of energy and motivation; this is the time when you are most likely to accomplish tasks with the highest levels of efficiency. It differs from person to person based on their sleeping and eating habits, and personal preferences. Click on the hyperlink to find out your Biological Prime Time!
7. Do Not Wait For The Last Minute
We all have been in a situation where we left our essays for the last minute to watch another rerun of Friends or to play League Of Legends for another hour (or five). But let's face it; these last-minute essays are never our best-quality work, especially when they are produced at times when we are half-asleep and tired of the events of the day. In order to get that A, make a detailed work schedule for the essay and stick to it. Make sure to keep enough time to organize and proofread your paragraphs. Also, ask other people to proofread it for you in order to avoid any mistakes that you may have overlooked.
BONUS: Block social media websites while studying
Put your phone on silent mode and keep it aside while working on important stuff. In order to avoid getting sucked into the social vortex, download applications like SelfControl and Focus to block all social media websites during study time.
