Advice For The Studying College Freshman

By: Holly Abidi

Starting college can be intimidating. As a freshman, you may not know what to expect. It isn’t until the first day or two when you have the course outlines and syllabus’ that the realization sinks in: you need to do a lot of work and studying.

Studying in college is different than studying in high school, and it can be tough. It involves oodles of time, preparation, and your undivided attention. Not to mention it is the most important part of college life. Yeah, surprisingly enough, it isn’t the parties. Bummer huh? But don't worry. Here are five rather standard things you can do to ensure good study habits and--hopefully--good grades.

1. Be prepared for class and have everything you need with you. This includes: 2 pencils; 1 pink eraser; 1 pack of college lined paper; 1 clip board; 1 notepad; 1 file folder with elastics to secure your papers; 1 red pen for corrections; 4 regular bic pens; and 1 excellent black or blue gel pen. A school planner is a must in order to stay organized and to ensure you won’t miss any deadlines.

A great way to stay organized is to create a list of tasks and beside each one estimate how long it will take to complete it. Give yourself extra time for each task, allowing you to take breaks or use the excess minutes for other work.

2. Take notes of everything. This means writing fast and using short hand if necessary. The most important thing is that your notes are readable. Also, pay attention in class and watch for clues to key information that could be on a test. If you think it’s important, highlight and learn it well.

3. Ask questions! Don’t worry about sounding foolish because if you ask, chances are there are at least a dozen other students wondering the same thing.

4. Review as much as possible and make sure to review before a test for at least three hours or more.

5. Study avidly. Don’t play around, really buckle down and work hard. Spend your time studying. Trust me; you’ll need as much time as possible to study, eat, go to school, and sleep. This is basically how college life is and you have to make the best of it.

Now are you wondering how to study or even how should you study? Well, I will let you in on a little secret. The most essential thing to know is your learning style and this is rather simple to pick up on. This will guide you as to how you study, learn, and memorize material the best. When you know your learning style you’ll have one up on everyone else. It can save you time and help you remember information quickly. The anxiety of tests can cause you to forget your name, so it is a must that you master test material. Thus, by knowing your learning style you might be less likely to forget information because you are learning more effectively. Also, you can take this free test to determine your learning style on this website.
http://www.metamath.com/lsweb/dvclearn.htm
You can find it on this website near the bottom of the page called, “Learning Styles Survey.”
http://www.metamath.com/multiple/multiple_choice_questions.html

Basically, there’re three learning styles, auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners. They are defined as follows:

1. Auditory- listening.
2. Visual- seeing, reading, and using pictures.
3. Kinesthetic- touching, doing, writing, and physical participation.

Most people fit in one of the three categories. However, you know what works best for you. You’ll naturally adjust your studying needs accordingly because your learning style can vary based on the material and personal needs. Also, consider if you study better by yourself or if you learn better by studying in a group. If you wish to learn more I found two good websites to visit. This first website is helpful if you want to learn more because it clearly explains the different learning styles in a technical manner.
http://www.learning-styles-online.com/overview/
If you want a quick overview then I recommend this site, but don’t take the test on this site because they ask you to pay for it.
http://www.ldpride.net/learningstyles.MI.htm