1. Here's one thing you should do before school / classes start: Get your supplies ready, including your planner. A quick tip before we talk about planners: Get your textbooks after your first day of classes. Some of my professors in the past suggested we invest in the required textbooks, while many others just straightforwardly stated on the first day of class that we won't be needing them. I also took advice from older students who have already taken the class on whether or not getting the required textbook would really be necessary. So you might save yourself a couple tens (or hundreds; textbooks can be so expensive, smh) of bucks if you actually don't end up needing them. But if you do really need them, note that some textbooks are available online in PDF version (often free!). The bookstores at my university tend to overprice the textbooks, so I usually rent mine online through Amazon or Bigwords.com.
Now, let's talk about planners. YOU NEED A PLANNER. There is a variety of planners out there, so just choose one that works for you. (To be honest, this "choosing one planner" usually doesn't work for me; I tend to switch between different planners throughout the year.) Whether it's a generic planner from Target or a customizable Filofax, find one that will keep you sane and organized throughout the year. Trust me, with all the classwork and extracurricular activities boggling your life, you're going to need one.
2. Speaking of keeping sane and organized, let's talk about syllabi. Thoroughly go over them! And transfer all important dates onto your calendar/planner. Remember, friends, your syllabi are your best friends during the school year. (Just kidding, please don't neglect your real friends.) Most likely than not, your professor probably listed all the important deadlines and exam dates on the class syllabus. You're not going to want to miss these! So highlight, underline, star, or put stickers next to them to make them stand out. (Grading system is probably going to be on it too, so make sure to note where the cutoffs for + and - are!) I rarely used my syllabi in high school. But now, as a college student, I find myself constantly checking them throughout the semester. For each class, I keep an electronic copy in my academic folder on my computer desktop and also a paper copy in my everyday binder.
3. Set up a game plan. *Insert Indiana Jones theme song here for inspiration / motivation* If you want that A, you're going to need to make a gameplan. Some questions worth asking yourself during syllabus week:
How is the course constructed? Are there lectures, discussions, and/or labs? How and where will I be graded on? How much are the assignments worth, and how often do I need to turn them in? Am I graded on attendance? Do any of my exams conflict with each other (in terms of date and time)?
3. Set up a game plan. *Insert Indiana Jones theme song here for inspiration / motivation* If you want that A, you're going to need to make a gameplan. Some questions worth asking yourself during syllabus week:
How is the course constructed? Are there lectures, discussions, and/or labs? How and where will I be graded on? How much are the assignments worth, and how often do I need to turn them in? Am I graded on attendance? Do any of my exams conflict with each other (in terms of date and time)?
For me, among my five to six classes every semester, I always have one hard class that seems almost impossible to get an A in. Now, this is kind of a mid-semester / a-couple-weeks-into-the-semester tip, but if you find yourself struggling in one or two of your classes more than the others, reconstruct your study schedule. For instance: One of my neuroscience psychology classes last semester was only graded on exams. Because I knew that there were only four exams throughout the semester - and sadly, no extra credit whatsoever - I had to hardcore study to get an A. I tuned down the hours I was spending revising notes for my other, relatively easy, classes and spent a couple more hours previewing and reviewing lecture notes for the difficult class. And guess what? I did it! I got a solid A in that course, along with all my other classes. Just remember, you don't need to spend an equal number of hours studying for each of your classes.
4. Go to office hours. I know, talking to professors might seem a little scary. I think this is especially the case if you go to a big university like I do. It takes nerves to go up to the person who regularly speaks in large lecture halls. I don't know about you, but I try to calm and encourage myself by repeating these words every time I'm in a line / make an appointment to speak to the professor: "He/she is also human, just like me. I'm a hard-working student, so it'll be fine." (Wow, I sound really nervous here.) I was really surprised to hear from some of my past professors that they're shocked at how rarely students come up to interact with them. One of my professors even stopped hosting office hours because not many students cared to visit. Going to office hours and introducing yourself to the professor will make you stand out from the start. Of course, this doesn't automatically give you an A. But hey, maybe regular office hours visits could reserve you a future recommendation letter!
These are just 5 tips I have for you all today! I'll be posting more college-related tips and advice, so keep checking mango notes :) Until then, good luck packing and preparing for a new school year!
These are just 5 tips I have for you all today! I'll be posting more college-related tips and advice, so keep checking mango notes :) Until then, good luck packing and preparing for a new school year!
