With the start of a new semester, I have taken it upon myself to revise how I approach school and studying. Now, I wouldn’t necessarily deem myself as lazy per say, but I’m definitely more prone to playing on my phone, scrolling through TikTok, or napping versus completing my assignments.
The first issue at hand to tackle is: note taking. I hate it. You probably hate it. The world hates it minus the few people judging me. That’s right. I see you. For me, I hated taking notes with a passion. It felt like busy work and unnecessary. The biggest tip I can give as a STEM major is take them at the same time everyday or every week. It creates a sense of a routine and schedule to follow rather than doing it because you suddenly had a burst of energy.
The second issue is assignments. You may be like me and grind them out the day they are due or hours before you hit submit. It’s a really bad habit. I know. To get through assignments, I have chosen a reward system. For me, I will do all of my assignments for the day or the week to be rewarded with going to Target, going to Ragstock, driving home for the weekend, or even getting Taco Bell as a treat. This method has really helped me stay on top of my courses this semester. Plus, you get a reward afterwards. This method has made me feel more accomplished at the end of the day. Don’t even get me started on how much I’m actually learning now that I’ve implemented this into my system.
The biggest issue there ever was: studying. I can confidently say the last exam I truly studied for was my junior year of high school chemistry class, shout out to you Mr. Batterman. My high school chemistry teacher taught me one of the best study methods I have ever received to date. He told my mom that I should be studying at least three days in advance. On day one, I would study everything and simply go over it. This helps pinpoint the areas in which you need more time learning. On day two, I would focus on the concepts that I didn’t quite understand first and then review the information I knew pretty well just to secure it in my brain. It’s important to spend the majority of your time learning the material you don’t know as well. This gives your brain time to form more connections based on that information. On the third day, I would focus on the minor concepts I still needed more time understanding. I wouldn’t review anything I was confident on, and I would keep studying for that exam to a minimum to make sure I didn’t overwork myself.
Some other tips I have would be drink water, eat some snacks, SLEEP, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Trying to study while dehydrated, hungry, or sleep deprived will not deliver favorable results at the end of the day. Also, your biggest resource is your professor. They teach the class and are always happy to help. And, if you need help on a concept, there are likely others who need help too. Another helpful tip is study groups. I know it’s hard to form study groups or interact through a computer screen, thanks COVID, but having a study group is incredibly beneficial. You may be more knowledgeable on a certain topic and someone else may be more knowledgeable on a topic you struggle with understanding. I think of it as a gift that keeps on giving. If you need help and someone is confident in that area, you are able to go directly to them. You could even help someone else out by being in their study group.
I know these tips won’t help everyone, and I’m okay with that. It takes time to figure out what works for you versus what doesn’t. If something on this list doesn’t help you, ask your friends. Sometimes the people around us have adopted different tips and tricks that work better than others. You never know. Make sure to set some time aside everyday to relax and wind down. It is impossible to not be stressed if all you are constantly doing is overworking yourself. Breaks are important. Don’t be afraid to decide you’re done for the day to read a book or watch some TV. There is no shame in that.