Study Tips

I know what are all thinking right now, an entire entry about how to study? BORING! But if there is one thing that I have learned after completing my second year of college, it is that there is a way to study that is both effective and frankly…fun. Hopefully you will find these few tips on studying helpful as you are transitioning from the world of suntan lotion and flip-flops to number two pencil and scantrons.

Recognizing What Kind of “Studier” You Are:

 I think the first step to successfully studying is recognizing really how you operate best. All freshman year I found a group of girls that I would study with, but frankly, although it was nice to have friends to, for lack of better words, suffer through it all with, I really was not learning as well as I could have. I easily fell into the routine of convincing myself that I understood things that others in the group understood, even though I needed some extra practice. This year, however, I often studied primarily on my own, working through problems and reviewing topics. Only after making a short list of material that I was still fuzzy on, would I proceed to ask friends for additional help.

This is the key to success, I believe. Only you understand yourself best. If studying with a group of others helps you to focus or bounce questions and ideas off each other, then that’s great and there are plenty of opportunities to form study groups. If however, you are more like me, don’t be afraid to tell others that you need some time alone to really wrap your head around everything. At the end of the day it is your grade, so you need to do whatever works best for you.

Good Places on Campus to Work:

I am a big fan of moving around when it comes to finding a study spot. And although it is tempting to simply work at your dorm desk, my suggestion would be to try out some of these other locations on campus. I typically find it helpful to separate work from play- since the dorm room is not only where you sleep, but hang out with friends as well (not to mention the clutter that generally forms), it is a good idea to not only mentally but physically remove yourself to keep the boundaries between fun and work. Here are some places on campus that I have found to be good study spots. I hope you test some of these out and find some of your own:

The Library: An obvious choice, the library on campus has lots of open tables to study. Large tables toward the entrance of each floor are great places to meet with friends and study. If you head towards the bookshelves on each floor, you can typically find individual desks that are great for those days you really need to buckle down and get work done.  There are also multiple rooms throughout the library that are equipped with a whiteboard and large tables. These rooms are great for working through problems and need only be reserved.

The Business Building: The Business Building on campus is conveniently located near East halls and is one of the newest buildings on campus. With comfy couches, table-side lighting, floor to ceiling windows, and dozens of conference rooms with chalkboards, whiteboards, and overhead projectors; the Business Building is really an ideal spot for working.

Commons: Another convenient spot of campus to study is the commons associated with each residence hall. Usually there are nice places to work when you are just looking to get some homework done and don’t mind the distraction of people as well as enclosed study rooms for more serious work.

Classrooms: I really find it productive to find a classroom over the weekend, perhaps Hammond, or Willard, or one closer to your particular dorm in order to really get some quality studying in. Sometimes it just feels right to study in a setting already designed for focus and attention. In particular, I enjoy being able to claim an entire classroom to myself, or with a few friends, and having wall upon wall of nothing but open chalkboards for working problems.

Just like there are lots of different ways to study, there are lots of different places in which you can work. I encourage you to experiment and find what works best for you. It’s kinda fun to go explore campus and find your own study room!

Making Studying Fun (…and yes it is possible):  The last thing I would like to leave you girls with is a few tips to help turn the studying process from something dreadful to satisfying. Here are some things you might want to try:

• After claiming a classroom on campus, have fun working on problems by signing into your favorite Pandora station on the computer and just go at it-it certainly is not a rarity to find someone jamming out as they scribble away free body diagrams or physics problems.
• Bring along tasty snacks to munch on as you work. You can stop by the commons before finding a spot to study and stash up on all those irresistible junk foods that you can now allow yourself to eat as a reward for your hard work.
• On a similar note, take a break and grab some food with friends. Whether it means breaking for a quick to-go meal from the local commons, or perhaps treating yourself to food downtown; it is important to recognize when it is time to take a breather and re-energize.
• For all you coffee drinkers out there…Starbucks is located just down the road from the Hammond building, in the HUB, and downstairs in the library. Needless to say, I plan my study areas based on the location of a Starbucks.
• Don’t be afraid to get off track or distracted every once and a while. Although it is important to find a spot where you will be productive, bringing a friend or two along that you can rant to about how much you wish you could use a calculator on that math test or analyze why you and that boy from your physics class are meant to be together can actually help keep you going. And frankly…keep you sane as well.
• Be an active studier. It is important to keep your brain going and so quick little exercises can provided a good study break and boost your energy to tackle more problems. And believe me, there is plenty to do to keep you energized! I’ve studied with ROTC guys who did 50 pushups every thirty minute interval (although I completed about ten…), girls who had me doing handstands in a classroom at 2:00 AM before a final, and study sessions where I shot empty water bottles into the trashcan across the room. We’re all engineers here, so the innovative outlet to keep you going I’m sure will come effortlessly.

I hope you have found some of these tips to be helpful. I wish you ladies all the best of luck as you navigate the college world of coursework and tests and please feel free to contact me with any questions at all! I look forward to meeting you all in person soon!

Veronica Dallas is a junior studying Mechanical Engineering and a Mentor for WEPO'13!