Suggestions for college

[raab]

I just started to take two classes at a local university. It has been around 3 years since I have stepped foot into a class room. I'm not really a smart person, and I was never one to do amazing in school, I was always mediocre at best.

The only type of school I am used to is the very structured classes, like how high school was, and now in this college course, its really flexible. He gave me a class schedule and it basically tells me what to read and asks a question, I am guessing its a question that is going to be discussed in the next class or a possible quiz.

I was wondering if anybody could give me a few tips on not falling behind in the classes since most of this is pretty new to me.

BTW, the classes I am taking is US History I, and Intro to Spanish ( I'm not really worried about the Spanish class :P )

[bayz]

it sort of depends on the kind of person you are/how much you can handle. for humanities based classes like history, etc. (i.e., the only work is reading pretty much), some people can never go to class and read everything that was assigned the night before and still ace exams. others can't.

if you think you're the kind of person that might fall behind easily, you should probably go to class and read the assigned sections beforehand. what i normally do for classes that are solely reading-based is go to class and read everything as laid out in the schedule until after the first exam. if i do well and think i can get away with skipping class/not reading until right before future exams, i will... if not, i'll keep going.

of course it's a different story for math and science shit for me, if i don't go i'm basically fucked. i too am not a very smart person :)

[Streetwolf]

Keep up with the readings, go to class, and take good notes. Participate in study groups if that's how you study best. Otherwise study alone. Reading can be a bitch unless it's your thing, but you have to force yourself to sit down and do it. Take away distractions like your computer and TV. Go to the library. Since there's absolutely NOTHING else to do there you generally get around to HW.

If you notice you are falling behind, use your weekends wisely. Double up on time you set aside for HW and catch the hell up. Don't over-study (if this can possibly be a problem to you haha). You are reading to get something out of it, not to look at all the words.

Refer back to your notes to connect readings to lectures. Some professors want you to learn from the book and others from your notes. Some want both. Figure out which it is.

Good luck.

[Janus]

excellent advice from sw and lyck.

[Zogo]

never miss a class..

[NecMo]

well for commuting it's hard not to miss at least 1-2

For history, like it was suggested, just read everything and get away from distractions...it might seem weird, but maybe not to us guys, but when I HAD to read something for class, I would do it in the bathroom. Just a suggestion :)

[Streetwolf]

Oh and if you're looking to remember things, I find that the more ridiculous thing you use to remember something, the better it works.

For example, I was recently studying for the DAT (Dental Admissions Test). I had to learn the difference between afferent and efferent pathways. Afferent is associated with sensory neurons and efferent with motor neurons. So a stupid thing to remember that was 'sensory-afferent, motor-efferent', or taking the first letters of each: 'SAME'. I never forgot it.

Just think of the most retarded thing possible which will help you remember the topic and you will absolutely remember it.

[NecMo]

I've never understood how people can fall asleep in class...even when I was up all night drinking I still managed staying awake with hardly any problems

Other people just walk in there and fall asleep right away. Those students always were annoying as hell.

[Zogo]

I'd feel like an idiot falling asleep in a class..the only time I had trouble though was when I basically didn't sleep one night.

[bayz]

i never understood how people could fall asleep in class, either... at least until i had an 8:00am art history lecture which consisted of an hour of slides with the lights off.

[Zogo]

maybe if they gave me a la-z-boy recliner with a pillow.

[FireWall]

When I was in high school, I used to sleep through class all the time because I would stay up until 4 AM playing TFC. I need at least 8 hours of sleep to feel good. Now that I'm in college, I still stay up until 4 AM, but it's because I'm studying. Fortunately, I get to schedule my classes for the afternoon.

[CR0C0DILE]

Get the spanish language course by Michel Thomas. In 1 week youll know what you will learn in class in a couple years, so youll have no trouble with that class, and can spend more time studying the other classes.

[Frag]

well i dont actually fall asleep... i lose consciousness for like 1/2 second....

hehe you dont lose consciousness when you sleep. you just slip into another form of consciousness. just a lil fyi :cool:

and speaking of which, ive always found adequate sleep the best thing for college.

[[ELB]Azrael-]

Going to class is so much easier. I usually try and go to every class and while in class I write everything down and pay attention as much as I possibly can. Doing that usually helps me remember most of it, getting me out of studying. Writing everything the professor says helps me memorize it, and if I forget, I always have it down in my notebook - but I really don't study normally.

[Lanx0r]

Just do the basics.

1) Go to class all the time.

You will soak more out of a professor then you ever will out of a book.

2) Stay on top of your responsibilities.

Just going to class won't cut it though. Do all of your assignments and then some. If you are lucky enough to get extra credit oppurtunities -- TAKE THEM. Don't ever let yourself get behind - especially with higher level courses. You will just dig yourself a hole that you can never get out of.

Remember the following saying:

Procrastination is a lot like masturbation. It feels good at the time, but in the end you are only fucking yourself.

3)Get as much GOOD sleep as possible.

Make sure you get 4 hours before class at the VERY minimum. 8 hours, as we all know, is the preferred amount. But you have to be realistic. You can't always get 8 straight, solid hours while in college... quizzes, exams, big assignments, etc.... they all hamper your sleep time.

4) Eat Right.

Don't order that pizza at 1 am on Tuesday just because you need a snack. If you must eat late, then eat healthy; otherwise you will be sleeping with a stomach full of poison slowly turning into fat. Snack on fruits, yogurt, low fat foods, etc.

Also, try to keep your eating regiment on track. As much as I hate it, you have to eat breakfast. It will kick-start your metabolism and keep you sharp all day long.

5) Be Responsible.

If there was any person who would be a prime candidate for "partying too much," its me (just ask |D|elwood).

Yes, if you work hard, you can go out and play hard too. But do it on the right nights. Keep it limited to 2 nights a week. I recommend Thursdays (as long as your fridays aren't too tough) and Fridays.

Here is what I did during my college days. I would actually count the number of hours I partied on the weekends. I would then match that number with the number of hours I studied the following week. That was the bare minimum--usually, I would try to study twice as much the next week... but I am human, and sometimes wouldn't. At least I tried to keep a rhythm though.


Hope those ideas can help you out some. I know a bunch were repeats, but that just goes to show you how important these suggestions can be.


Good luck, and HAVE FUN while in college. As a recent grad, I can't tell you how much I would love to go back. It was an absolute blast.

[hate]

what episode is that chappelle qoute from