High school was not hard for me.

I was a lucky enough kid to be blessed with the talent of hearing something once and being able to retain enough information about the subject to pass the test that was given on it. I sailed through high school with very little effort. Though I, like all kids, had subjects I struggled on, but I never failed a class. Even with the little amount of homework I actually did and complete lack of studying, I did well in high school.

Looking back on it, since I’ve been reminiscing quite a lot lately, I could have done so much better in school if I had actually tried. I was pretty much a natural at English, History, and most of the extracurriculars I took. I faced a few issues with Science and Math, but if I had actually studied, I wouldn’t have any.

It sounds like I’m tooting my own horn, and I am a little, but mainly I’m realizing how lazy I was as a student. I’m 18 and I have no idea what a study method is. I look at index cards and I think, “I never wrote vocabulary on those, I used color in every other line to make a pattern! If I’m not making a pattern, what am I supposed to do with these tiny pieces of paper?”

I’m going into the honor’s program at my college. Studying seems pretty important in that setting. I am clueless when it comes to studying! The closest thing to studying I’ve come to in the past four years of my life was just writing my notes over and over again until my hand cramped up and I couldn’t anymore. Other than that, I have no possible idea of what I can do to study.

Highlighters are meant for coloring to me, not highlighting important information. Binders and folders are items I never use, organization is for losers (Or people who care about where all of their notes go. If I used folders in highschool, I probably would have had my homework in way more than I actually did. Maybe organization isn’t for losers.). Different colored pens are only used to draw many different-colored flowers on my notes.

Needless to say, I don’t use a lot of the tools other people do to take notes, or organize themselves, or even just make notes easier to read. And I’m a little freaked out about it.

I’m going to college. I’m starting classes at a level I’ve never been at, and I don’t know how to study. I want to do great in college, force myself to study and focus on my tasks. I just don’t know how to.

Learn how to study early, kids. Don’t be like me, learning how to study two days before you go away to college. Listen to your parents when they try to help you study, they know more than you do. Teachers are just trying to help, go to extra help! Gain that knowledge!