College Study Skills!

As you may or may not have realized yet, college is a lot different from high school.  It’s tons of fun and is probably going to be some of the most incredible years of your lives.  This being said, it is also very difficult, especially being an engineering student.  I have complied a list of my top five study tips and habits to help you get a jump start on killing your freshman year! 

1.       Find a Good Study Space

·         It’s important to find a place where you feel comfortable and focused.  If you find a spot you particularly like, there’s a good chance you’ll be spending lots of time there, so make sure there aren’t many distractions.  A couple of suggestions are the library (main and specialized), Hammond (the engineering building), an empty classroom, the HUB, and endless other possibilities. 

2.      Turn Off and Put Away Unnecessary Electronics

·         We all know how distracting our phones and other electronics can be.  Turning them off and putting them away can be very useful to ward off the temptation to scroll through Insta or Snapchat.  Getting an A on your first chemistry exam is way more rewarding than wasting 20 minutes seeing what all your friends are posting on their Facebooks.  So turn phones off and forget about them while in the study zone.  There will be plenty of time to catch up on social media after you ace your exams. 

3.      Give Yourself Breaks

·         We all know how exhausting it can be to slave over our books for hours.  Although making sure you put in the time to really study, it’s important to take regular breaks.  Limit it to a 10 or 15 minute stretch or dance break, then get right back to it.  It’ll keep your blood flowing and break up the time.

4.      Study With a Productive Partner

·         Having a study group can be super helpful on those long nights before finals.  Although studying with others can be beneficial to all involved, it’s important to pick the right group of people.  It’s good to team up with friends who can all contribute to the group.  Secret plus, your WEPO friends can be an instant study group for those first exams! 

5.      Start Studying Early

·         Make a schedule of all of your upcoming exams (professors usually let you know the first week of class).  This way you can plan early and make sure you give yourself enough time to study.  Everyone ifs different, but I like to start studying about a week before an exam.  This way I give myself enough time to work out any issues or difficulties with the material.  By starting early, you also give yourself the opportunity to speak with professors, TA’s, or other students if you encounter road blocks. 

College will be a challenging but invigorating experience!  If you develop great study habits from the start, you will make your life much easier in the following years!  Good luck ladies, you can do it!!!!! 

Katie Fritz is a junior majoring in Chemical Engineering and is a mentor for WEPO'16!