Academics College Life Growth

Tips to College Success—Part 3

img_0137Last but certainly not least! We've already discussed Schedule and Sleep as essential to college life. Here's Part 3:

#3: Study. ... "Duh, we're at school. Of course we need to study." Yes, but how do you study? What do you find most effective and time-efficient? Here are some of my favorite study tips that I've learned at PCC.

  1. Study daily. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! It's too easy to get overwhelmed by notes, so it's important to spend a little time each day just refreshing your memory and remembering the concepts you learned in class. Any education major can tell you, Repetition is the key to learning, not cramming! By studying consistently, you're able to put the knowledge in long-term memory—which is super beneficial for midterms and finals!
  2. Become a teacher. Anyone who teaches has a firm grasp of the material being taught. Whether you like to play school or not, try talking out loud to someone, explaining your notes. Many times this helps sort through concepts you may not have understood before. Also, if you find a class-buddy, you can take turns both teaching and being taught.
  3. Know your notes before you get quizzed. Too often we get lazy and ask our roommate to quiz us, only to realize that we know about 2% of the material. Not only is this frustrating for the roommate, but it's also a complete waste of time! Quiz yourself for awhile, then "separate the lock from the key" to test your knowledge.

Those are my favorite study tips, but there are so many more! Since everyone has several different learning styles, the best way to study is to use a combination of a few. Try to see how many of the five senses you can incorporate into your studying. Looking at notes, re-writing notes, hearing yourself teach, you get the idea. By mapping out a study plan, you'll best utilize your time and learn what you need to know.

These "Tips to College Success" are very simple, but they are key ideas to remember on a daily basis. So when you're feeling a little stressed, go back to these practical pointers that help college success be an attainable goal.

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The thoughts and opinions expressed in Life in the Nest are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Pensacola Christian College.
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