After the close of syllabus week, classes seem to pick up exponentially and it’s so easy to get lost in the mix of it all. Here are four tips to make sure you have your most successful semester yet!
Make a schedule
One of the most helpful things you can do for yourself is to budget and schedule your time. Time management is an important skill for college students and using your time resourcefully can save you so many headaches in the future. Buy a planner now (if you don’t already have one) and write down all the due dates, quiz and test dates ahead of time so they don’t sneak up on you in the future. This is also a great way to keep track of work schedules, meetings for group projects and clubs, and so on.
Go to class
Although it’s tempting to skip class, make sure you attend all of your lectures! Much of the tuition you pay goes toward your classes and it’s an enormous waste of money if you don’t show up. Additionally, it’s much harder to play catch-up at the end of the semester than it is to sit through a 50 minute lecture.
Handwrite your notes
Studies have shown time and time again that handwriting your notes is more beneficial to your learning than typing them on a computer. Although it may seem like more work, in the long run it will help you master your topics. Another way of doing this is to type them up during class (especially if your professor goes through material really fast!) and going back to re-write them by hand later. This method also guarantees more exposure to the course content before exams.
Get to know your professors
Take advantage of office hours! Most professors have very few students show up to their office hours, and, believe it or not, they actually like having students come in. It shows extra initiative, lets your professor know you care about your grade, and helps you stand out in lecture. Getting to know them on personal level will help you with letters of recommendation you might need in the future for jobs and graduate school. Plus, meeting face-to-face will help you better understand any content that confuses you.