College Survival Advisor

A college dorm room is a great place to study in terms of convenience. Other than that, it’s a virtual nightmare. Distractions are eternal and range from email and the telephone, to snoozing on your bed, friends down the hall, a blaring stereo, television and video games. Don’t fall into this trap.

Introduction to College Study Techniques

The following section will explain where to study, how to study, and why. We’ll also hit on the means for developing strong study habits and study skills, in addition to motivation, concentration and how to avoid cramming for tests.

Where to Study

Let’s reiterate a key point, to make certain you understand: The only way to improve study efficiency and concentration is to find a place to study on campus. The spot you choose should be designated for study, and study only. College campuses are packed with quiet places to focus on your coursework. Seek out a place to your liking on campus and use it daily to your advantage. The benefits you reap from this one piece of advice can make or break your academic success. 

College students often find they have to adapt to a whole different set of rules after high school. Simple take home worksheets and in class assignments are replaced by nightly chapters of reading, midterms, and exams that require students to prove their knowledge of concepts rather than simple memorization of facts. It’s a whole new ballgame. The following tips are a great way to get on the right track for developing successful college study habits:

• Difficult Classes Need the Most Attention: Rank your classes in terms of hardest to easiest. Spend the most time on your most challenging classes and do it early in the day. This will insure you get the toughest coursework out of the way during the part of the day when there are likely fewer distractions.
• Study in Blocks: Sit down and work for 20-60 minute sessions. Then, take a brief, five-minute break to stand up, walk around or get a drink. This is the most effective way to study because it will help alleviate burn-out and extend focus.
• Study While the Sun’s Up: Treat your school work like a job and use the daylight hours to accomplish your study goals. When night falls, your body and mind will automatically begin to shut-down.
• Actively Study: As you read and study information, continually ask yourself questions and review your notes. Review key concepts with fellow classmates as well as your professor.

Notes on Concentration

Studying is a science in and of itself. There are a number of different ways to go about doing it. However, using these proven tactics and adjusting them to meet your individual needs will all but guarantee success:

• Avoid Distractions at All Costs: If distractions present themselves, become all the more intense in your studies. That, or find a new place to study altogether.
• Keep Pen and Notepad Handy: When thoughts cross your mind, be certain to jot them down. This will get them off your mind. Go back to these thoughts when you have completed your focused study session.
• Set Goals: Before you begin your study period, list definite obtainable goals for that study session. These may include number of pages to cover, number of problems to solve and chapters to read.
• Design a Reward System: Reward yourself upon completion of your goals. For example, when you complete reading chapter four of your textbook, walk to the nearest vending machine for a cold beverage.
• Avoid Boredom: Break-up study content, mix subjects, alternate reading, writing and problem-solving, etc. Do what it takes to maintain focus and a reasonable degree of interest in your coursework.
• Rest Periods: The break-time between study sessions should be either relaxing or invigorating, whatever works for you. Consistently take breaks and vary what you do for that five minute departure from study.
• Work and Play don’t Mix: When you study, study only. Don’t accept cell phone calls and other random distractions.
• Make Study Adjustments to Meet Academic Goals: Start out slowly with 20 minute study blocks and build up to 60-minute sessions. Gradually build up to the full hour study limit, but only as fast as you’re able to maintain concentration.
• Don’t Worry About Asides: Understand that you won’t lose friendships, respect or miss out on fun activities when you go to focus on your studies. All of these things will be waiting for you when you complete your studies. (If you study during the day, like you’re supposed to, you can reward yourself with fun in the evening upon completion of your homework).
• Forget about the clock: Focus on your goals, not the time. Plan the length of study time you require, based on the amount of material you have planned to cover. You might finish early, you might finish late. The clock holds no relevance.
• Identify your Most Troublesome Coursework: After the first couple weeks of school, it’s time to determine which coursework correlates to your most serious concentration issues. Consider adjusting the parameters of time, order, or place you study, to see what works best for you.

Student Memory Techniques

• Five-minute Study Sessions: When the bell rings and class is out, don’t follow the masses immediately out the door. Rather, take a moment to invest in a quick study session. Review what was written during the course of the lecture and add any material that might help in your study blocks. Research has shown that this simple step could more than triple your ability to remember lecture material because it aids in memory retention making key points far less likely to slip your mind.
• Review College Lecture Notes Every Couple of Weeks: When it comes time to study for your final exam, all the old information won’t be coming out of left field. Rather, it will be calmly stored in your noggin, waiting for retrieval. Budget an hour or two, bi-monthly, to assure this information remains relevant when it comes to finals week.
• Flash Cards for Review: A great way to study and keep pertinent information in your pocket at all times for quick review is the flash card. In the event flash cards become a time consuming pain (college is different from high school, remember) carry a trusty highlighter with you at all times. You paid $200 for the book, so if you want to write in it, it’s up to you. Highlight key terms and any major lecture and reading points. When it comes time for finals review and mid-terms, you’ll be fortunate you only have to review the highlighted parts of the text, rather than reading back through the entire chapter.
• Trusty Mnemonics: This is a study technique you learned back in the fifth grade. Regardless, it may help you more than ever in college. Essentially, mnemonics is the organization of key words, taking the first letter of the word into consideration to remember many terms in one blow. Here’s an example:
• Question: Name the planets in order:
• Your mnemonic answer: I bought a Mercury to go to visit Venus, but how on Earth can I afford to go to Mars? Jumpin’ Jupiter, Saturn’s sale is Saturday, Uranus said that Neptune’s sellin’ Pluto’s cars. (Use these funny key words not only to remember information, but to make test-taking more fun).

Memory Basics

• Focus your Attention: If you want to remember something you can do it. You just have to give it your all-out attention. Avoid distractions at all costs.
• Believe in the Information you are Studying: Ask yourself why the information is worth knowing. Additional reading that correlates with the subject you are studying might enhance your interest in the subject matter. Pick up a good book that deals with your coursework if you’re struggling to appreciate a class.
• Group Study: Researchers have proven that some people associate and learn better in groups. If you’re having a difficult time on your own, find a study group.
• Learn Through Repetition: Study until you are completely at ease with your subject matter. Invest initial time in your more difficult classes and save the easy coursework for a reward.

Study Guideline

When it comes to a flow chart for studying, here’s the way it should go:

1. Pre-read classroom text. (You can find this information in your classroom syllabus)
2. Go to class and take notes. Also, ask pertinent questions of the professor.
3. Review and edit notes the same day as the lecture, if not immediately after class.
4. Make time for active study; Ask yourself questions; outline major topics; read selective text and highlight major points.
5. Complete your homework.
6. Ask questions of the T. A. (teacher’s assistant) or professor.
7. Review all information and integrate notes.

Student Motivation

In life, motivation plays a key role in how well people do most anything. Same goes with students and studying. Often, students develop a slave mentality when they see themselves doing work required by their professors that seems completely irrelevant to their majors and future career plans.

On the flip-side, students who see how their schoolwork fits into their futures, develop a willingness to do the work. They develop a can-do attitude so the work they do becomes almost easy because they want to do it well.

Determination and motivation go hand in hand. Once you decide to do it-then you are determined. But, first you have to feel motivated. The following section will help students become more motivated in an attempt to reach their academic and career goals.

Motivation Tips

•  Figure Out What You’re Trying to Achieve by Going to College: Why are you there in the first place? What classes are required? What classes are not? How long will it take to earn your degree? What do you want to do when you get out of college? What is your intended career path? With this information, you can begin to attack your studies. Focus on the ultimate goal, your diploma and a career after college and the monotony of the classroom will have purpose.
• College is Your Job: For the next four and some odd years, your job is to go to class and study. Don’t let the asides of friends, a part-time job or social interaction get in the way of the task at hand. Plan accordingly, so other factors don’t interfere with your studies.
• Set Goals: If you set goals, you will be continually motivated and focused. Keep in mind that most distractions come from within. If concentration is hard to muster, figure out what’s bothering you, attack it and move along. Continually write down goals and do what it takes to fulfill them. Then, reward yourself with some serious college fun to keep your momentum strong.

If All Else Fails, Get a Tutor 

Actually, it never hurts to get a tutor, even if you are doing well in a class. There are many benefits to tutoring. Sometimes, even the best professors might not make a connection with the student during a lecture. However, it might be an after-hours study hall, with a college tutor in charge, who helps a student master coursework content.