Ask
around the leadership team, and I’m willing to bet that at least half of them
have said those words out loud. The
other half has heard a friend or classmate utter the phrase. So, dare I say it ladies, at some point this year,
that exact thought will be running through your mind.
But
here’s the thing: it’s normal. It’s
supposed to happen. College is a
completely different ball game than high school. Where once you may have been able to look
over the teacher-prepared study guide in the 5 minutes between classes to ace
the test, you now must spend two weeks in advance reading, memorizing, and
practicing.
For
some of you, learning how to study for exams and quizzes may not be an easy
transition, and that’s okay. Every
person learns a little differently, and you may have to go through an exam or
class or two to figure out just what you need to do to prepare. Having been through this transition myself
and made it out alive, I’ll share a few tips that I have found truly make a
difference!!
Duly noted.
We
all know that we should take notes during class, but what can we do to help
remember them? One thing I like to do is
print out lecture slides before class if they are available, and annotate the
slides while the professor is speaking.
You’ll feel less inclined to take down every word and only mark down the
truly important notes, all the while actually being able to listen to what the
professor is saying. Additionally, a great way to really get that material into
your noggin is to rewrite your notes after classes. Going over them a second time helps you
internalize them and makes the material stick with you.
Do a trial run.
In
many of your first year engineering classes (Chem 110, Physics 211&212,
Math 140&141), your professors will make sample exams available for you to
study. Make sure you use them!! And not
only that, use them properly. Sample
exams should be taken a few days in advance and in the same scenario as your
actual exam. Find somewhere quiet to go
through the questions (no notes!), and keep track of the time. After you’re done, check your answers and
grade yourself. If you got a 90,
awesome!! If you got a 40, it’s time to hit your notes again. Didn’t get any practice exams? If a quick google search doesn’t come up with
any, ask an upperclassman. We’ve all
been there and taken those classes, and most of us have all that practice
material tucked away somewhere.
It said what on the syllabus?
Don’t
be that guy/gal. Your syllabus will
outline all important rules, assignments, exams, class protocols, late
policies, absence consequences, etc. You are accountable for this information! Professors generally remind you of items that
are posted on the syllabus, but they are not required to, so make sure you know
your stuff! Taking note of important
deadlines and exam dates will help you feel prepared and allow you to better
manage your time for studying. I love
taking my planner at the beginning of the semester and writing down every exam
and due date for all of my classes. It’s
great to have it all in one place, that way you can easily see where your busy
weeks are and you’ll know to plan for them.
Start now rather than later
Unfortunately,
cramming all in one night just isn’t going to cut it. Make sure that you are well aware of all exam
dates and know when you will start preparing.
Start at least a week in advance, maybe two. Take a few days to go over your notes. Then spend a few days going over practice
material. Review old homeworks, quizzes,
etc. Let the night or day before an exam
be relaxing. I personally love putting
the books down early before an exam to head to the gym or go out for a run,
it’s a perfect stress reliever.
Coloured pens are everything.
This
may or may not be my own personal opinion.
But it is also backed up with facts!! Research shows that students that
take notes in colour have better recall time for information presented to them
than those who take notes in black and white.
Whether you’re old fashioned like me with your 12 coloured pens and
paper, or if you’re tech savvy with a tablet, try incorporating colours into
your notes! It’s effective, and it does
look pretty(:
Find your study squad.
Studying
for exams with classmates is very helpful.
Even if you’re a person that tends to like studying alone in quiet
spaces, it’s great to be able to ask each other questions. All of you did extremely well in high school,
which is why you are budding PSU engineers!! But you will come across classes
that stump you and frustrate you, and it’s great to have friends and classmates
to help you out!
Hit up office hours.
You’ll
hear this a lot in college, but it’s true. Sometimes attempting to learn
chemistry in a lecture hall with 300 other students just doesn’t work out too
well. You have recitations in smaller
classes with your TAs, but another resource (completely free of charge) is your
professor! Before heading downtown to pay $40 for a review session, try meeting
up with your professor. After all, they
are an expert in the class that they are teaching, and they are always willing
to help out a motivated student.
No texting while note taking.
This
one might surprise you, but I think it’s the most important. You can spend two weeks studying for an exam,
taking several practice tests, attend every lecture, and still have quite a lot
of trouble in the class if you are not present during the lecture. It’s incredible to see just how many people
in a classroom are glued to their phone instead of paying attention to the
front of the room. Fact: you miss 100%
of the notes that you don’t take while you’re busy reading up on Caitlyn
Jenner’s latest fashion statement. Put
your phone down and listen to your professor.
On average, an in-state student pays slightly more than $42 tuition per class. Make sure you are getting your money’s worth.
Jessica Smith is a senior majoring in Architectural Engineering, and is the Professional Development Lead for WEPO'15!
