College Life: Week 4

After taking two of my midterms this week, I felt as if I deserved a break. I had never studied so much for a test before (excluding high school finals, which were always followed by weeks without school). Instead, I’ve been given even more work in preparation for my next set of midterms, which are followed by finals. Reflecting upon my preparations for the exams, I realized that I could have utilized my time over the last few weeks a little more efficiently. Below is a list of what I consider important when studying.

1. Use the resources available on campus:
• In high school, I was accustomed to doing everything on my own. We didn’t have much of a support system, so when things got tough, I had to spend more time on my own, referring to online resources and talking to friends.
• In the last week, I went to the math skills center and the writing skills center for the first time, and they ended up being much more helpful than I ever could have imagined.
• Office hours are essential and serve as a great way to ask the professor any questions you may have. Prefect sessions are also a fantastic way to review material and get help on any concepts that you don’t fully understand.
2. Study with others
• Studying with classmates or with friends can be extremely efficient as you can discuss issues as a group and you can hear other’s perspectives on different things.
• It is important to recognize who you work well with and who you don’t work well with — although studying with close friends can be very beneficial, it can potentially lead to distractions and be inefficient.
3. Review, and get ahead
• In high school, I never really did anything outside of class that wasn’t assigned, as I didn’t feel it was necessary. After just a few weeks here at Carleton, it has been easy for me to see the importance of reviewing notes daily, as well as previewing the material before it is covered in class. It has allowed me to get a deeper understanding of the material, and I retain the information much better.
4. Find what works for you
• This is arguably the most important component on this list. I find it extremely beneficial to try out new study habits, so I can learn more about myself and figure out what works out best for me. Personally, I think that switching up how I study helps me more than following the same rigid schedule on a day to day basis.

Although some of these may seem obvious, doing these things on a daily basis might be a little more challenging; in the long run, all these aspects should pay off and you should be more successful in the classroom.

Alvin is a west coast kid at heart (coming from San Jose, California), but is excited to start many adventures here in Minnesota. He plays for the soccer team here at Carleton and loves exercise. If he’s not on the soccer field, in the gym, or out on a bike ride during his free time, he can be found in one of the lounges playing Exploding Kittens, or in the music building playing piano. He is a potential economics major with an interest in computer science and mathematics.