10 Study Tips for College Students

10 Study Tips for College Students The following is a guest post written by Alexa Styliadis of NextStepU. One of the most common issues college students face is not knowing the correct way to study. The go-to study technique many students use is reviewing notes. If you find that reviewing your class notes the night before a test is just not cutting it, here are some helpful study tips for you to use! 1. Take good notes Taking good notes during class can drastically improve your test scores. The key is to write down key points without getting into too much detail. When you look over the notes you have taken while you are studying, you want them to be clear and concise. In class, you may write down a couple of words thinking you will remember what they meant later on, but oftentimes, you will not. You want the information in your notes to be understandable as well as legible. Write your notes as if you were going to let someone who missed class borrow them. 2. Find a good study space While your friends may swear by studying in the library, that may not be the best space for you. Some cognitive scientists suggest that alternating your study space can help you remember more information. If you change your location every time you study, your memory may be more likely to remember what you have learned. A quiet place might be best for you to be the most productive. It is important to find a space that works best for you. 3. Make flashcards Although it may be looked at as old school, a very helpful study technique is making flashcards. Writing notes and definitions more than once is proven to help you remember information. Once you write out your notecards, go over a few at a time throughout the week, and your memory will begin to recognize the information and save it for later. 4. Dont cram While its tempting to put off studying until the very last minute, it is not in your best interest to do so. Good study habits come from pacing yourself and not waiting until the night before a test to look over your notes. Start studying at least a week in advance to give yourself enough time to prepare and to reduce your test stress. 5. Get enough sleep Similar to it being important not to cram the night before, it is also important to get enough sleep! When you are tired, you are not going to perform as well as you could. Getting the recommended eight hours of sleep will do wonders for your mind and body. 6. Stay organized When you have everything organized, you are going to have less anxiety and feel more prepared. Keep a detailed calendar of your exam dates and time blocks you are going to devote to studying. When you write down study times, stick to them. Do not fall into the trap of pushing your study time back when it gets to be that time. Procrastination is not your friend! 7. Take breaks Studying for exams can be difficult. Make sure you take short breaks while you are studying to allow your brain to process and retain the information you have reviewed. Although you may think studying hours on end without taking breaks is helpful, it is not. Reward yourself with a 15-minute breather, and then return back to your work. 8. Use mnemonic devices This method of studying can help you more easily recall definitions, formulas, key concepts, and so on. A popular example of this is the math term, PEMDASalso known as, Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally, which stands for parenthesis, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction. Mnemonics can be extremely helpful when studying. 9. Eat nutritious foods What we eat and drink affects our concentration and memory. It is important to provide your body with the brain food it needs to retain information! If you eat something high in protein before studying, you will be more alert. If you skip eating, or if you eat something high in carbohydrates, you will likely feel more sluggish and be less productive. Caffeine can also have negative effects on our brain chemistry. While you are studying (and before an exam), you should try to avoid drinking too much coffee or tea. 10. Test yourself Repeat, repeat, repeat. Students remember more information when they force themselves to retrieve concepts they have reviewed. Look at a definition and make yourself remember the term that goes with it. Quizzing yourself, or having someone else quiz you, is one of the best ways to prepare for the real deal. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

How to Survive the College Application Process Part Two

How to Survive the College Application Process Part Two Now that youve done all the early college-application stuff finalizing your list of schools and creating an application-process checklist, all of which can be found in Part One of this series its time to move forward and set things in motion! Heres what to get done in these first few weeks of September: 1. Ask for letters of recommendation One very important component of a college application is letters of recommendation. Many colleges require at least two letters of recommendation from teachers who have previously taught you in academic subjects. Writing a letter of recommendation is no small task. Teachers put a great deal of thought into writing these letters for their students, which takes time. Therefore, its helpful to teachers who are often asked to write letters for several students if you ask them as early in the school year as possible if they are willing to write your letter. Always remember to thank your teachers, whether or not they agree to write you a letter! When choosing teachers to ask, start with the teachers you know best and in whose classes you performed the best. These teachers will likely be able to best vouch for your character and academic performance. If your teacher agrees, there are a few things you need to do. First, gather enough envelopes so that letters can be sent to each college on your list. Next, address and add stamps to these envelopes so theyre ready for your teacher to mail off to each of the colleges youre applying to once he or she finishes writing the letters. Be sure to give your teacher the official letter of recommendation form for each school, making sure the form mentions the deadline by which your teacher needs to send his or her letter. 2. Register for standardized tests If you still have standardized tests to take, its important to register for them as soon as possible to secure your spot. Double-check the standardized test requirements of each school to which youre applying, and then register if you need to. You can find dates for the SAT and ACT on their official websites. If you want to get a jump-start in preparing for these tests, you may wish to check out helpful study guides, practice tests, and other powerful resources, such as the free Varsity Tutors SAT Prep Book and ACT Prep Book. 3. Begin filling out your applications Early September is an appropriate time to begin filling out your applications. While you wont need to submit your applications for a few months, completing much of the basic forms on your applications early can help save you time later (when youll likely be getting busier with your academics and activities). The great thing about college applications is that you can fill them out online. That means you can work on them incrementally, saving your progress and coming back later to complete the rest. That said, its critical you save your work as you go along. Its not a good feeling to spend several hours working on an application only to open it up again the next day and find that work is gone! 4. Start searching for scholarships Like your college applications, many scholarships arent due until late fall. However, its never too early to start scoping out these opportunities. Pay a visit to your high schools guidance office and ask about what kind of scholarships may be available through your school. Then, look at scholarships offered by your prospective colleges, and also through outside organizations and businesses. (The Varsity Tutors College Scholarship Contest is a great one to enter as well!) Once youre past this stage of the application process, keep an eye out for Part Three of this series... Any topics you want to know more about? Let us know! The Varsity Tutors Blog editors love hearing your feedback and opinions. Feel free to email us at blog@varsitytutors.com.