Alright guys, enough with the excuses! If you want to get good grades then put some effort into it. I know as a fellow student that, “I have no time” is biggest lie you tell yourself. The reason you don’t have enough time is because you were too busy sleeping in and watching your favorite shows like The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Big Brother Canada, Survivor and some other lame shows from TLC (Here Comes Honey Boo Boo? Seriously?)
Trust me, you will regret your decisions with this procrastination mentality. You need to wake up! Let’s start together, from here on out things will change (if you follow through). Here are a few/several tips to help you get out of the funk and onto the top of the grade scale:
#1. ATTEND THE LECTURES
Ahhh, the most obvious piece of advice anyone could ever give! Fun fact: attending class actually does makes you smarter! Wow! Who knew? Seriously though, by being active in your studies you will begin to understand the course material and by understanding the course material your studying process will be more at ease.
When you are in your lecture here are a couple of things you should do:
- If you are a social network freak don’t bring your laptop! Suck it up and bring a pen and paper. It’s a proven fact that you take in more information from writing then typing (it’s false that professors are too fast for this method, I have had many professors and yes, some were fast but if I could keep up – so can you).
- I’ve learned that sitting in the front is a mistake, just like Gravol, it makes you drowsy. Sitting in the back isn’t a good idea either, distractions happen there more than anywhere. Laptops are open and a bunch of people are on their Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Meet life halfway, sit in the middle. HIGH FIVE!
- You’re not a toddler so don’t write like one. Make sure your text is legible, this way you can go home and re-read your notes (yes, you must do this).
This brings me to my next helpful tip:
#2. GO OVER YOUR NOTES (Immediately and from now on)
Alright guys, let’s get real. Every teacher in high school gave us this tip and surely less than half of you went, ‘great idea’ and never followed through. It’s time to take their advice. Unless you are in a three hour lecture notes shouldn’t be too heavy (even then). Reading improves memory anyway, grow up and read your notes. A good tip is to read your notes before you go to bed, it act as a double positive, you will retain information better and you will fall asleep faster because reading before bed calms you.
After you are finished reading the notes you will be less prone to depression because you will feel productive and probably more motivated to keep up the excellent work! Yay – we are half-way there! Just remember to keep re-reading the notes, it’s a growing process. The second day don’t only read the current lecture notes but read the previous ones as well.
“Spare me the lecture” – Wolverine
#3. CREATE QUESTIONS (SELF-QUIZ)
One of my favorite study sites is http://www.studyblue.com. This site allows you to create electronic cue cards and online quizzes. It also allows you to see your process. Sweet deal! If you are more of a traditionalist then write your own quiz.
OTHER TIPS THAT HELPED ME:
- Use colour, this will stimulate your brain and its fun!
- Summarize, don’t highlight everything!
- Eat healthy
- Exercise
- Use your university resources like “Mentoring”, this helped me so much the first year!
- Do keep up with your readings, I cannot stress this!
- Understand what your professor prefers, guess what questions will be on the exam
- Refer back to your syllabus
- Stay organized, keeping a calendar is a good thing
- Get the eff off of your XBOX now!
- Keep a positive mind
- Stress kills, talk to a counselor or academic adviser if you feel overwhelmed
- Treat yourself AFTER you have finished studying (treat, alcohol, friends, movie, ect.)
GOOD LUCK ON YOUR STUDIES!