GETTING away from my parents and partying until dawn were the two main thoughts on my mind as I unpacked my belongings and set up my college pad. Aside from buying excessively overpriced books, the notion that the school year was about to begin was as far from my mind as the combination to my sophomore gym locker. When I finally began to focus on my schoolwork, I found that the results were not at all what I was expecting. I didn't understand. I was using the same study skills that had given me success in high school. The only problem was that they weren't working in college.
In high school, I had always been able to roughly predict the results that my studying efforts would bring. It was a rough but simple equation: studying more equals higher grade. It wasn't until the middle of my second semester that I caught on to why my patented studying skills weren't working out. I had made two errors in my calculations which had sent my college grades into a tailspin.
It is a common cliche that studying for college is different than studying for high school. Though at first the differences might not be apparent, they are there. Many college courses involve a lot more reading than a similar high school course. Sometimes, the reading isn't from a textbook but instead from firsthand reports which assume that the readers are going to be on the same knowledge level as the author. One way or another, reading is something that will take up a great deal of time for both E-school and college classes. In some classes (particularly large lecture-sized ones) a large part of the information comes from the readings, making them an especially important part of one's knowledge base. Don't underestimate how long reading will take. It might be a good idea to assume that reading will take almost twice as much as expected and to schedule time accordingly.
It's even more important to take into account the volume of distractions that college offers. For a typical high school student, the two greatest distractions are the TV and the stereo, both of which can simply be turned off. Roommates, suitemates and hallmates, however, cannot be handled quite so easily. Even when trying to tune out the ruckus, the activity outside one's room often diffuses until everyone in the suite or hall is involved. Not to mention that when one is stuck reading or writing a report, the sounds of people having fun can be more tempting than the call of the sirens.
Technology also plays a role in distraction, as AOL Instant Messenger isn't the only thing that can focus your attention away from studying. With the wonderfully fast network at the University, the Internet truly moves at lightning speed, and along with it all the video, MP3, and other multimedia files the World Wide Web holds. Also important, the stereos and TVs of your suitemates or hallmates are not under your jurisdiction. From my personal experience, the common area of my suite was equipped with a large TV and practically every gaming system known to mankind. From there I learned that the intro music to the Simpsons attracts more flies than honey. It might be a good idea to do the bulk of your work in a library or study lounge, where interruptions won't be as frequent or as tempting.
Perhaps one of the most common bad study habits is to leave a large amount of work for the weekend. The truth of the matter is that if one has little motivation for doing work during the week, that motivation usually goes down the drain for most of the weekend. It's hard to focus on studying when everyone in the vicinity is bent on having a good time. Another deterrent to doing weekend homework is a student's health status. By the time you've woken up after a long, hard night out, and recovered enough sanity to focus on academics, it's practically time to get ready for round two or three of the weekend's festivities. For sports fans, University sports games are usually on Saturday afternoons, and with NFL Sunday action, that practically cuts out half the weekend for work. Weekend studying usually has a way of being done in last minute desperation on Sunday nights.
None of these study tips should be regarded as scare tactics. I am simply imparting the wisdom that comes from having been overly confidant and as a result, having made mistakes in my first year. Adapting from high school to college can be tricky, and it is different for everyone. As long as you are aware of the differences between college and high school studying and are able to change habits quickly to fit new learning styles, there is a good chance that you'll avoid first semester grade shock. College will always be fun, even if you study a great deal. The most important tip is to not forget that aside from partying, college also involves studying and grades.
(Alex Rosemblat is a Cavalier Daily columnist. He can be reached at arosemblat@cavalierdaily.com.)
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