7 Tips to Success in College: Effective Study Habits

Published on Friday, September 16th, 2011 by J. Gomes Category: College News College Tips

College is very different from School, in many ways. One of the most significant changes to get used to is learning to study independently; no professor will be chasing you up if you’re late or you don’t hand your work in, you will just fail. This is why it is important to grasp effective study habits for going to college. Here are seven steps to success.

Make a study timetable:

Although you may not be in classes for as long as you were during school days, it is a good idea to think of your day in the same way, consider it the start of your 9-5 life. For example, if your course only requires you to be at lectures from 12pm – 3pm, don’t stay asleep until 11am then watch television for the rest of the afternoon/evening, make use of the extra hours, there will always be some kind of studying to do at college. It is important, however, to be realistic with your time and the amount of studying you can do, in order for your timetable to work; you were allowed breaks at school after all. Of course, if you are writing an essay and all your ideas are coming together and flowing out onto the page, don’t stop just because your timetable says you should; equally if you have writers block or feel that you’re not taking in the reading, don’t just sit there for an hour waiting for your break, put the work down and do something else, so that when you come back to it your brain will feel refreshed. That is the beauty of independent college study, it’s flexible and up to you. It is also important to prioritize your study assignments and not become overwhelmed by the college workload. Work out when you will have to do the work for each section of your course, in order to stay on top.

A place to study:

Many college students find themselves living in the library, a place they can go to focus completely on their research, reading or course work assignments, a place free from the distractions of home such as television and friends who are not studying. It is true that the social pressure of other people silently working around you will influence you to do the same; it is pretty embarrassing to be caught staring into space, spinning on your chair or doodling. However, you may find that you would rather be at your own desk, in your own room, with your own space, away from the weirdo in library who just sits staring into space. Wherever you find is best, be sure that it is clean and tidy, with enough space and lighting for you to work properly.

Organize:

Organization is the key to success. Whether it is your time, your desk, your notes, your ideas, your essays or any other part of your college life, it needs to be organized. Much of college study involves reading and researching from different sources; when you bring these different findings together with your own ideas in essays and assignments it is very important to reference where your information has come from. Plagiarism is a serious issue at college, which is why referencing is crucial. A good tip for keeping track of where your notes have come from is to use different coloured pens for different sources during note taking, of course you must then also remember to create a key for yourself assigning each source to a colour. Another important lesson, that you do not want to learn the hard way, is to back up all your work. Almost everything is computerized nowadays, which is fantastic but a computer crash or a simple click of the wrong button and everything can be lost; that is why you must ‘save as you go’ and back up all your hard work in more than one place, as in usb sticks, external hard drives, even email work to yourself. A clever way of ensuring your work will not be lost is to use Google documents, which will allow you to access your work wherever you go. This is an especially good idea if you are prone to losing or destroying notepads and usb sticks.

Discuss:

A great way of finding out whether or not you fully understand a lecture or reading you have done is to talk it over with other people. Having a study partner or group will also allow you to try out your ideas for approaching an assignment, if you can’t explain it properly or they can’t follow your thought process, then you know you will need to have another think before you start to write. The great thing is that this doesn’t have to be done in the library either; you can sit around discussing newly discovered theories, readings and ideas over a drink, in a coffee shop or while sunbathing. Don’t forget you pay tuition fees; your professors will be more than happy to chat to you if you’re having trouble understanding a concept or if you want to double check how to answer an assignment with them first; that is what they are there for.

Be an active leaner:

Take notes on everything, in every lecture, seminar, study group and tutor meeting. It is not only about writing down the ideas that are presented to you, but your own thoughts and questions also – you won’t remember them later. If you are an audio learner then record your lectures, seminars and study meets, so that you can listen back to them to help form your plans for assignments or exams. In a similar sense, if you are a visual learner fill your walls with mind maps and drawings to help concrete the ideas into your long term memory.

Overlooked resources:

Before writing an essay or sitting an exam consult your course guidelines and assessment objectives; this information is given to you on the first day and is often forgotten about, but it tells you everything you need to accomplish in order to achieve top marks. Another hidden resource gem is previous assignment feedback. Mostly students look at their mark or grade and forget to consider the advice provided by the marker. This guidance is given so that you can improve in your next assignment, so allow that feedback to direct your study.

Stay positive:

Remember that you chose to go to college to learn, so don’t dread your lectures and research, enjoy and embrace the new studying experience.

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