Dear Future College Freshman,
Have you ever had trouble studying? I remember in high school, I had the most trouble finding the right system that would help me study. Eventually, I found and perfected a system at the University of Hartford.
In my freshman year, I wanted to be involved in so many things. Although my main interest was the Step Team, by the end of the first semester I had to leave. This was mainly because my Step Team's practice schedule interfered with my classes and studying. Most of the team's members were seniors, which meant that they didn't have a lot of classes and could make the late meetings. Most of the time practices ended around 2 AM and I had 8 AM classes, with a lot of studying and a lot of homework.
Here are two key lessons I took away from this experience...
Lesson #1: Wait to join clubs; and make sure you learn the do’s and don'ts of the college first.
Why?: I learned it takes awhile to get accustomed to the new curriculum, and what you should and should not do on campus. Studying should always take priority above all.
Lesson #2: College students have such demanding schedules and in order to succeed, will need to learn to plan everything out. You should plan out your classes, extracurricular activities, exercising, and most importantly studying. Make sure your schedule is realistic and manageable.
Why?: A lot of students think they are bionic and burn out too quickly. You should at least study a week ahead, just incase there is new material added to the curriculum. You want to avoid cramming. Highlight the really important things in one color, and while you're studying make flashcards. It may take a longer time but it is very rewarding in the end.
With lots of love, Dominique S.
Comments