– good grades are important, but so is experience. your 4.0 is exceptional, but your resume is an entire page and that incredible gpa takes up very little space. so take full advantage of internships, clubs, research opportunities, volunteer work, anything you can that pertains to your major. you’ll thank yourself when you start applying for jobs.
– if you are passionate about a club or organization that has nothing to do with your future career path, that is perfectly okay! stick with it every year, hold leadership positions, do the best you can in it. the passion, leadership, and loyalty speaks volumes.
– get to know the professors in your major classes and let them get to know you too. go talk to them, even if you don’t have any questions about the class. one day you’re going to need references and letters of recommendations and their words carry weight.
– learn how to study. it’s different for everyone. if studying with other people is unproductive for you, then don’t feel bad about not going to the study group that your classmates organized. studying hard is good, but studying smart is better.
– sometimes you have to stay in and study for your huge exam while your friends go out to dinner. but sometimes you just have to say screw it and go with them anyway. you’re in college to learn, but the spontaneous late night runs to taco bell is something you’ll cherish for a lifetime.
– if your college has some sort of career center, take advantage of it. they can help you with your resume, your interview skills, your cover letter, everything. they can point you in the direction of internships and companies that are hiring. career centers are incredible resources that your tuition paid for, so you might as well use it.
– always keep an umbrella, a water bottle, and some snacks in your backpack. you’ll thank yourself.
– in every class, make at least one friend and get their number. it’s helpful to have someone in your classes that can send you notes if you overslept or can clarify assignments. these people are absolutely crucial – they will save your butt more times than once.
– if you come really close to making that grade that you really needed on a certain exam, don’t give up on it. follow through. don’t email your professor – go talk to them about it. see where you went wrong, understand the mistakes that you made and explain to them why the question tricked you. tell them that the question you missed will keep you from making a certain grade in the class. don’t beg them for mercy, don’t ask them to boost your grade. groveling isn’t as appealing as a student who is genuinely interested to see where they went wrong. teachers appreciate students who care enough to follow up. and they just might end up changing your grade because of it. it’s happened to me before. and if they don’t end up changing it, then you did all that you could. the world will go on. i promise.
– before an interview, go into a bathroom stall and assume a superhero pose. legs apart, hands on your hips, head held high. hold it for a couple minutes. this boosts your testosterone and lowers your cortisol, which increases your confidence and decreases anxiety. after the pose, do a little dance with your limbs out long. i don’t know if this does anything for you physiologically, but it helps with the jitters. take a few deep breaths and tell yourself you got this one in the bag. it may sound silly but it really works, i swear by it.
– make the most of these 4 years. i know you’ve heard people say it goes by fast, but you don’t realize how fast it’s gone until you’re two months away from your graduation and your mind is completely blown. so milk it for all it’s worth and don’t waste any time – start the first day of your freshman year. put yourself out there, try something new, make mistakes, meet as many people as you can, go to the football games and the basketball games and the equestrian meets, stay up all night and climb the buildings on campus and watch the sunrise, go to the library during finals week even though it’s crowded – there’s this odd comfort and unity that comes from being among all the other stressed out students, study hard, play hard, don’t wish away your week and look forward to the weekend – use every single day as an opportunity to do something you’ll remember, something you’ll thank yourself for, something new.
– the moral of the story is that you have four years to do everything you possibly can so that when graduation is right around the corner, you can look back and have zero regrets – or maybe a couple drunken ones, but no need to dwell on those. you did it and you did it well. that’s the feeling you want.
8 AM classes really aren’t that bad: It may take some willpower (and coffee) to get there, but really, 8AMs aren’t that bad. Get a decent amount of sleep the night before and you will be okay. If I can get myself and my 4 year old out of bed, get ready, drop her off at preschool and arrive on time for an 8am, you can too!
Taking classes that meet once a week for long blocks: If your learning style is such that sitting in a long lecture once a week is something you can handle, then these are the best classes to take. Personally, I have done 3 semesters of these and they have been my favorite and the ones I have gotten the best grades in.
Scheduling back-to-back class periods: These can be beneficial if you’re the type of person that just likes to get everything out of the way at once. However, the downside is that you will not have time to eat between classes, and you may have to grab something and eat during lecture. If the buildings for your classes are far apart, this may not even be an option. Having breaks between classes is important to allow yourself mental relaxation and to eat, or catch up on work.
Don’t be afraid to change your major: I’ve changed my major a lot, like maybe 8-10 times. The downside is that I am graduating a year late, but I took A LOT of fascinating classes and became a much better rounded student. Colleges know that student change their minds. If you switch majors 2-3 times, you won’t end up behind. I’m a special case.
Take long-hand notes: You may feel strange taking long-hand notes while everyone else is typing away at their MacBooks, but long-hand notes are MUCH more beneficial as far as long-term memory goes, and you don’t run the risk of being distracted by Facebook.
Dress appropriately for class: The college stereotype of everyone attending class in their pajamas isn’t true. At least make the effort to throw on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Your professors will notice if you look like a slacker in class, and dressing nicely (or at least not in your pajamas) shows them that you value your education and respect their lectures. People wear anything from casual clothes to ties to class, and everything inbetween. Don’t be afraid you’ll be overdressed, being underdressed is much worse (in my opinion).
Cultivate relationships with professors: ATTEND OFFICE HOURS. Close relationships with professors are massively helpful! Professors are much more willing to write letters of recommendation, look over rough drafts, or help you out via email at 10pm for students that they know than ones that they don’t. Additionally, professors can be some of the most interesting people you will ever meet.
Attend class: Along the same lines as above, attending class is very important. You (or your parents) are paying for you to be there. You should try to get the most out of that by attending lectures that you have signed up for. Additionally, when it comes finals time and you need to boost your grade, no professor is going to help you if you haven’t attended their lectures.
Invest in a water bottle: Nothing is worse than sitting in a lecture dying of thirst.
Invest in a messenger bag, tote bag, or backpack: You don’t have a locker in college and chances are your dorm will be far away from your classes. Make sure you have something to carry anything you’ll need, from books, to pens and pencils, to a laptop, or even snacks like granola bars.
Take notes: Do it. Your professor knows more than you, that’s why they are at the front of the room. Listen to them, and write down what they say. Then study it. This is how you learn.
Utilize the library: Other than during finals week, the library is pretty much a guaranteed quiet place to study. Additionally, college libraries have databases for research papers, printing services, and a whole lot more for students.
Eat alone if you want/have to: No one will judge you. I promise.
Annotate your books: Especially if you are an English/literature major! It is a lot easier to simply take all of your notes in the novel than to copy down page numbers and quotes into a notebook. Textbooks (like science ones) can be annotated too!
Don’t let anyone shame you about your major: Each major is difficult in its own way. Don’t let anyone make you feel like you’re taking an “easy” major or that they are more intelligent than you because they are in a “hard” major. STEM majors are not better than Liberal Arts majors, and Liberal Arts majors are not better than STEM majors. Ignore anyone who says otherwise. Ignore anyone who says your major is pointless. This does not only apply to fellow students, but family, friends, and the world in general.
Prepare for advising periods: Class offerings are usually posted before registration is open. Take an hour to become familiar with the requirements of your department and the individual college it is in (if applicable), as well as University/institutional requirements (IE at UMass, my “college” is the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, while my department is Anthropology. The university itself, SBS, and Anthro all have different specific requirements I must meet to graduate) and make a list of classes you would like to take that satisfy these requirements. Advisors will appreciate it.
Take advantage of campus resources: Many colleges and universities have numerous extremely helpful resources, such as employment services which will help with resumes, or counselors for when you’re having a hard time. Use these. They are there for you.
Keep yourself organized: Notebooks, highlighters, a planner, flashcards, an expandable file, binders, folders, literally whatever you need to keep track of all your papers, assignments, due dates, and what you need to help you study is important for you to have. If you don’t know what helps you study or what keeps you organized, try some different systems or do some research.
Keep your syllabi: Every semester I buy a different notebook for each class I am taking, and I always keep my syllabus folded in half in the back of each notebook. It has saved my ass numerous times.
Check your email or the course website before class: Nothing sucks more than being the only kid who didn’t know class was cancelled, especially if you’re a commuter and you drove in/took the bus to a class that isn’t happening.
Give yourself plenty of time: Whether its getting to class, doing homework, or writing a paper, make sure you give yourself enough time. This is especially important for commuters. I can promise you that you will need more time to drive to class than you think. I live less than 40 minutes away from UMass and I still leave 75-90 minutes before class starts.
Understand your learning style: Do flashcards work best? What about mindmaps? Answering questions at the end of the chapter? Understand what allows things to sink into your mind the best, and utilize that method of learning.
Honestly, you can get by with SparkNotes: I was an English major. We had to read, a lot and I didn’t always read the novels. I used SparkNotes and skimmed chapters. While I wouldn’t recommend relying on this entirely to graduate, it can help in a pinch.
Skipping class: I know I just told you to go, and I do mean that. But sometimes you need to skip class and be lazy or frivolous, and that’s fine. Don’t make it a habit. I usually allow myself 1-2 “mental health” days per semester. HOWEVER you should be VERY clear on the absence policy of your professors. Some don’t take attendance, and others will kick you out if you miss 3 classes. It’s always in the syllabus.
It’s okay to withdraw from a class: Getting a W is better than getting an F. If a class is too much for you, then it’s best to step out of it. Most professors will understand, and most grad schools and jobs will too.
Be kind to yourself: It’s easy to only value yourself through school, as in what grade you got on a test, or how your GPA stacks up against others but we are all human and sometimes we fuck up and sometimes we do poorly and thats alright. Learn from it and move on.
Take care of yourself: !!!!! This is very important. Eat as well as you can/enough, sleep enough, don’t become addicted to or dependent on drugs/alcohol, exercise (even if its just walking to class), take showers, etc. Sometimes taking care of yourself takes a back seat to taking care of your grades OR to having too much fun, and neither is a good strategy. Yes, college is a time to assert your independence and have fun and party, but if you do too much it will begin to affect your grades and your health.
Try to get internships or research assistantships/independent studies: These will look great on your resume and a lot of them are quite interesting/enjoyable. It shows initiative, drive, and motivation! Professors usually have independent studies and career/employment services (if your campus has that) can help with internship placement.
These are basic things that I have learned during my college career. I’m sure I could come up with more, but I hope this is helpful!
I donât know about you guys but I am psyched to get an education, woo. This year is a hella important year for me because if I donât finish this school year with five As then I am a dead man walking, you get me? So this started off as a collection to help me get those fabulous As but I thought, what the hell? Iâll share this perfection with everyone else because sharing is caring. Anyways, down to the nitty gritty
001. CALEDONIAâSÂ DECLASSIFIEDÂ SCHOOL SURVIVAL GUIDE
010. TIPS FOR SCHOOL N STUFF BCUS I WANTED TEN BITS
try your best. not everyone can get all As, and getting all As does not make you better than everyone else. just do the best you can and be the best person you can be.
donât sleep in class! i know it seems so so tempting but slept my way through geography last year and i got a C in my exam instead of the expected A soâ¦
Donât tick off your teacher, follow the rules to an extent, get to class on time, respect your classmates and teachers. you know, just be a decent person.
be positive!!! and not just for the first week or so, keep the positivity going throughout the whole school year. if you donât believe in yourself then why should anyone else?
“you can do it, wildcat, i believe in u” â something troy bolton said one time probably definitely
In the four years of college I’ve survived (three years for a bachelor + one for a master), I’ve learned it’s mostly of a waste of time and money not to give a shit about academics. Of course you need to take care of yourself mentally, emotionally, and physically, but it’s greatly advised you don’t go to a university just to escape the burnouts you went to high school with.
Dude, if you want to move away – just go for it. You don’t need to pay NAU (or really any university or academic institution) $10,000 in tuition just to get a change of scenery. Hell, it’s cheaper if you move somewhere new and just get a job to pay the rent.
However, if you’re really invested in the whole of what college is (and yes, of course, that includes a social life if you want it to), then here are a few tips on how to survive the academic component of college life.
☮ Give a shit right now. A lot of freshman rationalize that they have four years to earn a decent GPA. Don’t.
☮ College is a leg-up academically. It is not insurmountable and when you do well, it’s a great esteem booster.
☮ Do not settle for less than you can accomplish. Going into freshman year, I told my mom I would be happy with Cs. She was appalled. Looking back, I am a little, too. I let fear control my expectations of myself and that’s unhealthy.
☮ As obvious as this may seem, connect every goal or action with a motivation.
In criminal justice, there is a term ‘stake in conformity.’ Basically, it’s been found that people with more to lose (a job, family, reputation) are less likely to commit a crime (well, probably less likely to do something to get themselves caught). The same should apply to your academic habits. Try to remember what you have to lose or gain by maintaining or expanding your academic habits.
☮ Disability Resources can provide some great accommodations to students who qualify. In the same token, institutions need to provide reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act, so if some need isn’t being reasonably met, be vocal.
☮ Find a way to make the material memorable. This can include mnemonic devices – coded abbreviations, doodles, outlines. I particularly like doodles (visuals) because I get bored staring at a black block of text.
☮ Break down your study sessions into small sub-categories and work on that sub-category until you master it. Trying to understand too many things at once will only overwhelm you.
☮ Typically, waiting until the last minute is not a particularly good life choice. This will happen eventually and can be unavoidable, but keeping yourself in check is a lot less weight to carry.
☮ Instrumentals/non-lyrical music helps me concentrate and doesn’t provide the same distraction that regular music does.
Helpful hint: Don’t laugh, but this ‘In the End’ Linkin Park instrumental has been one of my go-tos for years. You can find great instrumental playlists on Spotify, including Vitamin String Quartet.
☮ Studying in your room is guaranteed to enable whatever distracts you most.
Helpful hint: The library didn’t work for me, but I enjoyed the Hot Spot, the South Learning Center, and residence hall computer labs.
☮ Planning your time goes a long way. You’ll never follow your schedule/calendar 100%, but having an idea of what you plan to do that day definitely helps time management.
☮ Whether or not study groups work depends on how much actual studying is done. When I would study in groups, it was always more socializing than it was studying. Studying in pairs helped me a lot more.
☮ If your class has a TA, utilize them as a resource. Some will hold study groups, provide advice, etc.
☮ Office hours can be a god-send. They may give you anxiety – I cried the two times I used them – but outcomes can be good. I once got an extension on a political science paper I was having difficulty writing because I didn’t understand the actual politics.
Helpful hint: Don’t take Political Science 370 if the only other political science class you’ve taken is 120. Basically, don’t take a class you might not be qualified for.
☮ Free tutors are available on campus for a variety of classes.
☮ The writing lab allows graduate TAs or upperclassmen to review your essays for grammar, flow, and structure.
☮ Quizlet or StudyBlue may have flashcards for your class already online. If so, you can use them to play games to quiz yourself.
☮ All-nighters are generally bad news bears. I don’t care if you think you study better under pressure – lack of sleep is just not a good element to gamble when it comes to academics.
☮ Keep your notes and handouts in one place. Like I’ve said numerous times, I’m old-fashioned, so a binder with notebooks for each class in a block set was all I needed.
Helpful hint: If you’re more technologically-apt, I might suggest Google Drive. You can create folders on Google Drive and organize all your notes for various classes into various folders. Best of all, it’s accessible from any computer or mobile device and can be helpful for studying on the go.
☮ Once you begin classes, you’ll get a sense of whether required readings are all that required. If they are, don’t be 19-year-old me who had to read 150 pages on the history of Pakistan and India in a single morning to write her midterm paper.
☮ For the zillionth time I will recommend StayFocusd (Chrome) and LeechBlock (Firefox) to lock yourself out of distracting websites.
☮ I’m constantly telling my residents at work not to burn the candle at both ends. Christ, make sure to give yourself a break between all your work. Eventually, you’re going to need to sleep or eat or whatever it may be.
☮ Just because you’ve read something doesn’t mean you understand it. Until you do, don’t move forward.
Helpful hint: Don’t get stuck on something that doesn’t make sense. This will become a time-waster. Send an email to the professor or ask a classmate/groupmate/etc.
If you don’t know anyone, chances are there is a group for the major on Facebook. You could post a message on the Criminal Justice group (for example) to solicit other sessions of the same class.
☮ Caffeine should be a last resort. I know, I know. For some, it’s a crutch. For me, though, because I don’t drink caffeine regularly, the times I did (including to finish my 38-page term paper on the history of social welfare) it was much more potent.
☮ This is a little unorthodox, but to really show I understood concepts, I would write short stories about those concepts and integrate them into the plot. This worked for me because I used to write for fun.
☮ Writing a paper when you’re drunk is not advised. You know, if you’re going for coherency (this is more of a grad school story, because I didn’t turn 21 until after undergrad).
☮ Do all of your assignments. Even the easy ones. A few points missing at the end of a semester can separate a letter grade.
☮ It doesn’t hurt to ask if there will be extra credit opportunities.
☮ When reasonably possible, don’t take classes you know you’re going to dislike/blow off. You realize by this point that you (or your parents or your grants or your scholarships) are paying roughly $1000 a class? Make the most of that money.
☮ Create your own study guides by taking previous notes and converting them into a typed guide of essential only information. By having to type/retype content, you’ll be forced to mentally go over the material once again. This should only be for essential information. Do not retype ALL your notes. You should be making information more concise.
☮ Morning classes are not recommended for late-sleepers. If you know this about yourself, please do yourself a solid and just don’t.
☮ Hilighting is only meaningful if you have a rhyme and reason to what you highlight.
☮ With BBLearn Quizzes, some professors will let you see what you got wrong after you complete the whole quiz. Print this out or save it somewhere important for review for finals.
That’s all. It’s not a lot but I guess it will help. This is my first masterpost and I hope you like it. If any of the links don’t work, just message me.
♡ C O L L E G E tips and resources M A S T E R P O S T ♡ by akira endtable
♡ ♡ ♡
Many feel a justified anxiety over the prospect of the inevitable feat of aging and having to take on daunting adult responsibilities despite still feeling like an overgrown child. Even if you feel ready to be independent, it doesn’t hurt to have a little help along the way.
I’ve been seeking out tips to help give myself and others a better sense of readiness in the upcoming years. This masterpost is used to organize this information into a concise, easy to navigate list and share what I’ve found with anyone who wants to utilize it.
Hey guys!! I’m making this post for all of the other students/college students who are like me. I have a really hard time keeping track of my homework assignments for each class/when they’re due, and sometimes that causes me to get assignments done late because I start jumbling up when shit for which class is due. I know paper agendas are a thing, but sometimes I have projects that aren’t due for weeks, so having when it was assigned 3 pages back isn’t going to help me remember it/keep track of when I should do it.
Basically, you can input your classes/class times, and your homework, and set when your homework is due, and it will sort out when you need to get your homework done, and even tell you if you’re late on any of your assignments. It’s even color coded!
You can even set it to when it should remind you to work on your specific homework assignment, set certain assignments to different priorities, and even highlights ones that are due soon (see the one up there that’s in orange, since it’s 2:30am here, that’s technically due today OTL).
I didn’t even have to make an account, I just hooked it up to my facebook account because I’m a lazy motherfucker!!!!
But yeah you guys should give it a shot if you’re like me and have a really hard time keeping track of homework/when you should work on it/scheduling in general, and paper agendas aren’t flipping the bill.
Just going to leave that there for anyone who needs it
this is true. whenever i study, write, or other university things, i always listened to game music, film musics and classical. (and maybe a playlist of adventure time and starwars). it makes me super focused!
More advice from a gamer and psych major. Make two playlists! One with the softer, more flowing music, like what you hear while traveling in a game. Name it “Field music.” This kind of music is supposed to just keep the flow as you travel in the game and it keeps pressure even.
Now take all the high-intensity battle music and make a playlist called “Boss Fight.” This music is supposed to make you feel just a bit desperate, but also empowered and badass. This is good for VERY CLOSE DEADLINES and “HOLY SHIT THREE PARAGRAPHS TO GO I GOT THIS.” It helps you get reenergized and gets you pumped to push through the last bit.
This is how I study and write papers.
For those of us who like lyrics, pick something NOT in the language you are writing in. When you’re writing in English and listening to English music it lowers your ability to write as well as you could because your brain is also interpreting the music.
reckless & terribly gay 