Six Tips On Being a Better Student

Posted Jan 11 2013 - 5:00am

Tagged With: academic tips, spring semester, study tips

The most wonderful time of year has come and gone— much too quickly, I might add . The season of holiday shopping, awesome presents, much-needed relaxation gives way to the new year.

It’s a time for new beginnings and self-improvement; It’s a time to set new goals to ensure that this year is even better than the last.

But along with this fresh set of digits comes something else: something we collegiettes may have overlooked while making our seemingly endless list of New Year’s resolutions: Spring Semester.

A new schedule, new professors, new books, new material, new tests, new stressors.... and it’s all just a few days away. Most of us toss all of this to the back of our minds during Christmas vacation, and it isn’t until the night before class starts that we realize we won’t be spending the upcoming week watching reruns of Gossip Girl on Netflix.

But don’t panic...success is just a few actions away!

So go ahead and make that addendum to your list of resolutions. Dean’s List... here we come!

Get an Agenda. . . and Use It!

You’ve probably been given one every year since you were 10. And as overrated as it seems, writing all your to-do’s and assignments down on paper is the best way to remember them and stay organized. Get one of these and you’ll forever avoid the “I didn’t know I had a test tomorrow!” panic attack.

Take advantage of extra credit opportunities

As busy collegiettes, we strive to excel in every area of our lives—academics especially. It can be disappointing to earn a mediocre grade after endlessly pouring over textbooks and review sheets. So we can’t stress extra credit opportunities enough! You might think you don’t need the boost, but do it anyway, especially if it’s as simple as taking a survey for a graduate research project. Trust us, you’ll thank yourself later.

Keep Up with Your Reading

This one’s kind of a pain, but it’s also a must. When your teacher threatens to give pop quizzes on reading assignments throughout the semester, he/she probably isn’t kidding. And what’s more, you’ll have a lot less to accomplish come test time. If it seems like too much to handle, make it a point to read a certain number of pages everyday after class (and writing it down in your agenda, of course).

Don't Skip Class!

As obvious as this one may seem, think back to all the times last semester where you just didn’t feel like trekking all the way across campus. But skipping class definitely has its consequences, and it can become a habit all too quickly. Even if you’ll spend the entire 50 minutes reading your Twitter feed and stalking your friends on Facebook (not that I support this... entirely), you’ll probably still get some points for showing up.

Don’t Party the Night Before a Test!

It happens to the best of us. There’s a huge party Thursday night, and you’ve got an even huger test at 9 a.m. the next morning. It’s a tough decision to make, but you’ll always be better off skipping the fiesta and getting some sleep instead. There will always be another party, but there may not be another opportunity to pass the class.

Go to Office Hours

Professors always list their office hours on the class syllabus, but most people never even give it a second thought. Like it or not, some one-on-one time with your teacher can actually be extremely beneficial. Not only will you get the help you need, but your professor will always appreciate you making the extra effort. And when one point is keeping you from an A at the end of the semester, your professor will probably be feeling a lot more generous if you’ve paid him/her a visit.

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