# On Advice For College Success (Part 1 of 2)



## SoSaysSunny (Oct 24, 2009)

*Advice for College Success:
*
*30 Free Lessons I Had to Learn the Hard Way

*[HR][/HR]
*1. Not everyone should go to college.*

Some people just aren’t cut out for academic life. This isn’t an insult — Some folks are just more “Doers” than “Studiers” and want to get down to business right away. There are lots of careers that don't require college and may prefer you to attend a trade school instead. _[see #24 below]_

*2. You don’t have to go to college right after high school.*

Some people aren’t mature enough to do well in college at 18 years old. You can always go back to school after you have worked in dead-end jobs for years and are better motivated to study (this is what I did). Besides, older students often have better time management skills and have gotten past those first few “wild years” of freedom.

*3. Bigger isn’t necessarily better.*

My first attempt at college was at a large university very far away from home. My Physics class had 500 students registered to it, though only about 300 would show up on any given day. It was held in a huge auditorium and I never sat next to the same person twice. Class was frequently taught by a graduate student and was a mile from my dorm. I ended up dropping out.

After several years of work, I went back to school — at a small college in my home town. This time, my Physics class had about 20 students, was taught by a PhD, and was just across the quad from my dorm. Small classes allowed me to ask questions and get to know my classmates. I made much better grades and learned a lot more.

*4. Have the right attitude.*

If you go to college you need to consider yourself a professional college student: College is your job and the grades you earn are your performance evaluations. Work hard at school like you’re trying to get the biggest raise of your life (because you are).

*5. Balance your course load.*

Paper-writing courses, lots-of-reading courses, math-y courses, lab courses, fact courses, concept courses — beware of having too many of the same type. Your brain can only handle so much of one type before you get burned out.

*6. Schedule lunch.*

Make time for meals when you’re choosing courses. You will need the down-time to eat and socialize so you don’t run out of energy.

*7. Go to class.*

Don’t skip class! It’s tempting but don’t do it — even if the professor doesn’t take attendance. You may be surprised how much more you remember when learning by listening than by just reading the book.

*8. Be awake for class.*

Get enough sleep each night. Before your first class, spend about an hour hanging out at the dining hall — eating, talking, and waking up. This makes your time in class more productive: better notes, better retention of the material, better class participation grade. Seriously, if you’ve got to be there, you might as well be there 100% to cut down on time needed for studying.

*9. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.*

Try to anticipate what your professor is about to say (solving a math problem, for example) — this way you are studying in class and can ask why he/she did something different from what you expected (very helpful in problem-solving strategy). Chances are someone else in the class has the same question.

*10. Take good notes.*

I prefer those black and white, string-bound composition books, using one for each class. Write your name and the class on the edges of the notebook for easy identification in a pile. Fold the syllabus in half and staple its top edge in the front cover for easy reference. Staple the top edge of folded handouts on the back side of a page in the same section as the notes for that material.

*11. Don’t be afraid to use lots of paper.*

Take notes only on the right side of the notebook (front of pages), leaving the left side (back of pages) blank. Use this space for adding notes if the professor refers back to something and for summarizing the material when studying for a test. Skip lines between ideas and draw large diagrams so there’s plenty of room to insert extra details, if needed. Anything the professor writes on the board is probably important — highlight this info by underlining it or adding a star.

*12. Never let your notes out of your sight.*

If someone wants to copy your notes, go to a copier with them and make them pay for the copies.

*13. Own your textbooks.*

Write your name on the edges of your textbooks so you can identify yours from across the room. I kept most of my books, especially from courses for my major. Being able to refer back to a previous course’s book really saved the day a few times.

Highlight, underline, star, and write in your books as you read them. Be sure to transfer key points to your notebook frequently. Write this info on the back side of the page in the appropriate section and make note of the page number. Redrawing diagrams will help you remember the info but, if this is not practical, make a photocopy and staple it in.

*14. Save your back.*

Don’t carry your textbooks to class every day unless the professors actually use them. Just carry your notebooks, a folder for each class (for homework, completed assignments, and blank paper), and a bunch of colored pens. I don’t care for backpacks — messenger bags and tote bags are easier to put on, carry, and get stuff out of.

*15. Find Study Buddies.*

Record classmates’ names on the first page of your notebook when the roll is called on the first day of class (you can look up their numbers in the campus directory). I don’t care how introverted you are, you have to do this! 

Don’t worry if your study buddies aren’t any better than you in that subject because: “If you really want to learn something, teach it to someone else.” When you explain a topic, your mind has to organize it and summarize it — two key parts of studying.

*16. Study!*

Read through your notes each day and keep up with reading from your textbook. It is so much easier to keep up than to catch up!

Play instrumental music to block out distractions and help you concentrate. I like soundtracks (Titanic), classical music (Mozart), and music in a language I don’t understand (Enya). Just make sure it’s upbeat and doesn’t have words to distract you. Study with music you don’t normally listen to so you can “set the mood” for studying. Research has shown that the complexity of classical music improves study retention.

*17. Don’t cram the night before.*

Study ahead of time and get plenty of sleep. During sleep is when your brain “sorts” and “files” the things you’ve learned. Trust me: Sleep is your #1 test-prep technique for every test.

*18. Don’t cheat.*

Duh! What’s the point of getting a piece of paper saying you’re prepared when, in fact, you aren’t?

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## Femme (Jul 12, 2009)

Helpful advice, Sunny. I would say #3 in particular is a common misconception amongst many high school students. I'm glad you acknowledged it.


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## Nightriser (Nov 8, 2008)

Now, you just need to send this message to me through a time machine, addressed to a me that is, say, five years younger. Let's go with six, just to be safe. 
The study buddy is probably the most difficult thing for a lot of the more accomplished students. We tend to think that we don't need to study that much, or that we don't need to study with someone else, we can manage it. In my case, it certainly proved to be incorrect. I was way too proud of myself.


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## Nightriser (Nov 8, 2008)

But yeah, thanks for this.


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