It is certainly unfortunate, but it appears that summer holidays are officially over, and school is back! It’s another semester (or year) of lectures, lessons, studying, exams and waking up early… but don’t cry yet! I have made a little list of study tips for you today, and I hope it’ll be handy for you.
We shall ignore the ironic fact that I should be studying my readings right now when I am typing up this post. :)
So, how to survive school again? Below are a few pointers!
1. Start school with a positive mindset.
Try to find the great things about being back on campus and studying! For instance, isn’t it great to be able to do something productive again after such a long, lazy holiday? Also, it’s always nice to meet new people and friends in new lectures! Everyone knows 8am lectures are terrible so it’ll be great to make new friends out of it! (Collective whining is somehow more enjoyable than doing it alone, hee)
Ooh, I can’t emphasise this enough. Don’t go around thinking ‘it’s too early in the semester to study’ - that’s a killer mindset! Somehow in university, time flies by really, really fast. It’s important to consistently study to build a strong understanding and foundation so that by the time finals roll around, you’ll be more or less ready! It is really not fun to panic the day before your finals and try to cram everything at one go, so please heed this point! For starters, today is the first week of school and I have read my readings :) Ah, school.
If you don’t understand any content in the lecture, please don’t discount yourself and think 'that probably wasn’t important, I’ll be fine’. When in doubt, ask! Your lecturers are human beings and they won’t eat you up, I promise. In fact, they’d love to answer any questions you have! I have discovered that many professors are wonderful, funny people who are genuinely passionate in what they teach, so there is nothing they love more than a student (YOU!) showing passion and curiosity for what they are lecturing about. Besides, it is always helpful to strike up a good relationship with your professors for your Final Year Project, or for your future resume, eh?
4. It is perfectly alright
If you feel overwhelmed, afraid, or confused by new content, it is really ok. You’re not stupid, or screwed, or in trouble. Everyone needs time to absorb new content - that’s why it’s new, right? :) Take a deep breath, and read it several times until you get it. If you still have trouble, refer to point number 3! <3
5. Highlight, highlight, highlight
If you are a visual learner like me, there is definitely no shame in defacing your notes with a highlighter. It’ll help you learn and that is what is most important! Use different colours if necessary for different parts of a reading - they can get pretty content-heavy at times and it is important to ensure you understand it.
Don’t be lazy - just do it! Writing notes and repeating them helps you remember the content (this is especially so for the humanities modules, since there is always a lot to memorise). Besides, writing them down helps you check if you understand what has been taught. If you can write the material down without pausing, you’re set for that A!
When my friends don’t understand something, I always jump on the opportunity to help explain it to them. Why? First, it’s always nice to help someone :) Also, it helps me see if I understand what is being taught (like above!). If I catch myself pausing and mulling over something, it is time to look the professor.
Now, I know Tumblr is a great supportive community, so a while back, many lovely people contributed their study tips, too! Some are conventional, but others are downright cool. Either way, all are worth a shot and I’m sure, helpful. :)
littlemissy: When studying for an exam, I first read + highlight the notes, then rewrite as colorful and with as many cheesy jokes. Lastly I take a huge A3 sheet and make a colorful map of the material, just headlines and keywords. As a visual learner, it works!
thehealthyteacup: a study tip I find really useful, is using sticky notes in the shower. I know, it sounds silly. While you’re taking a shower, you can look at your material on sticky notes and study there! For some reason it helps me because I look at a test question and think “Oh yeah, I saw that in the shower.” Obviously it’s not for everyone. Good luck!
makemehealthyandsassy: listening to a harry potter playlist! I don’t know it makes me feel a bit like Hermione while studying haha.
eatcookandrun: Each night, write down what you have to study the day after, and stick to it ! If you have finished everything early, enjoy the free time :)
aegi-ho: have a routine before you start studying. Making a cup of tea, clearing your table, getting out your books etc. will help your mind get ready to focus. Oh and my personal fave: Put everything you need to study in 1 pile and when you’re done move it to another and through the day watch the to-do pile get smaller and the done pile get bigger!
fatgirlgetsfitatlast: One thing I used to do for things that required boring memorization was make them into rhymes or even songs. I can remember the words to every song from the 1970’s, but I couldn’t remember the periodic table!! … so I made it into a song and managed to get out of chemistry without failing! :-)
curvesandtigerstripes: don’t be afraid to experiment with what kind of environment works best for YOUR study habits! Some people like having background music, other people need complete silence. For me, I found that getting out of my dorm room and into a library or a quiet place in a park worked best for me.
lucysweatslove:I make flashcards “books” (with book rings) and I will exercise as I go through them. You can take them off the book ring and put them in piles too- stuff you know well, stuff you need some practice on, and stuff you hardly know. Go through the stuff you know least, then the stuff you know mediumly, again sorting them, and then restarting the process until all cards are in the “know well” pile, and restart.
(I think what this means is that you keep going through your materials until you know them all well, especially if you’re unfamiliar with them! Am I right, Lucy dear? <3)
smile-you-bootiful-souls:After every 25 minutes of studying take a 5 minute break. This always works for me. Also study ponytails are totally a thing =) I recommend a fountain ponytail
happy-body-happy-mind: My absolute favorite study tip is to simply find a good place to study!! It’s a ton easier to get work done when you have a calm and comfortable place outside of home that’s used only for working and that gets you in a studying mood. I live right by a college campus with tons of beautiful, old libraries I like using. There are usually other people studying in them as well, who motivate me to get work done like everybody else is! Plus, being in old buildings makes me feel like I’m in a movie :)
PS Thank you so much for all your input, darlings! I had fun reading them and I will apply some :)
Also, thank you for reading so far! Please let me know what you think of it and if I should do another post maybe? :) (Feedback is realllllly appreciated <3)
