if you don't care about marks, or just want a passing grade, then do the above.

if you want to be successful, time manage, choose 2 of varsity, academics and social. you can't do all 3. study on regular basis, never study the day before tests, final.

LuMiX

China5757 Posts

February 05 2009 19:33 GMT

The most important thing studying wise is to review your notes everyday after the classes. It makes learning the material a lot easier when your actually trying to study for that exam!

DreaM)XeRO

Korea (South)4667 Posts

February 05 2009 19:34 GMT

Dont procrastinate, college work piles up super fast

Eat well...Or at least dont order out ALL the time. Learn how to cook

ieatkids5

United States4628 Posts

February 05 2009 19:42 GMT

thanks for the advice; im gonna be off to college in the fall this year

Hot_Bid

Braavos36390 Posts

February 05 2009 19:44 GMT

i disagree about the high school friends bit, because during and after undergrad, you become the person you really are. in high school you are often still developing your mind and personality, and the friends you make are often regional and clique-based. in college, most people get a full spectrum of people (or at least the opportunity for more diverse friendships) and these people know you as a person who is closer to the person you'll be for the rest of your life. sure there will be the handful of high school friends that you keep in touch with, but its never the same. i find the friends i made during undergrad and after to be those that i'm closest with. i guess its different for each person, depending on their hs/college experience.

Chef

10810 Posts

February 05 2009 19:46 GMT

I never share notes or study with other people and I do fine. Most of the time when I overhear people who are overly friendly, I hear them saying things like 'oh man, I failed that class so hard last year

like everyone got 30%, it's not fair!" Bitch, don't show up to your exam hung over, and you'll basically pass everything. University is easy, it's a talent to be so irresponsible you don't pass.

If I have one piece of advice for new university students: Don't drink and party during midterms, and you'll be fine. There's plenty of time for that on the weekend after, not to mention a semester is only 3 months long + a month of exams... Just grow a brain.

I'm not academically very intelligent... I just know how to manage my time and my life. That's the only skill you really need to do well enough in anything. When life sucks, just deal with it and focus on doing what you need to do... Don't suddenly give up and waste all you've built for yourself by overindulging in frivolous pursuits.

reaver_drop

Canada131 Posts

February 05 2009 19:47 GMT

On February 06 2009 04:34 DreaM)XeRO wrote:
Dont procrastinate, college work piles up super fast

Eat well...Or at least dont order out ALL the time. Learn how to cook

Definately learn how to cook, it helps reduce spending money on food by ALOT. Once I learned how my monthly amount on food went from like $800 to $400. After the first semester I learned 1 thing ... stay ahead in work. I'm about a week ahead in each class and that way I have some leeway time in case something comes up and I can't do the work.

Tensai176

Canada2061 Posts

February 05 2009 19:59 GMT

#10

The ironic thing is, I'm wasting my time reading this in my University Lectures =(.

Scooter

United States747 Posts

February 05 2009 20:06 GMT

#11

On February 06 2009 04:20 bludragen88 wrote:
6) Exercise will give you more energy, not make you tired/sore.

quoted for truth

for a few months I was sleeping 10/11 hours a day and felt like shit no matter what I did, but after I started working out I was working great again. Also my uni has a crazy gym center that's free for students, so that helped out a bit.

kidd

United States2848 Posts

February 05 2009 20:15 GMT

#12

I would say one of the most important things to do when you are in a university setting is to always have an active schedule. At the beginning of each semester a syllabus will be given with assignments and requirements for each course. You will realize pretty quickly what type of class it is going to be just after browsing the assignments page. Usually all professors will have everything listed that is going to be due for the entire semester which will probably be like 1 - 2 long papers and some mini assignments.

Pacing yourself through these assignments helps out so much instead of cramming it all into one day. If you have a paper due in a month, start on it early and do little bits each day. Once your first draft is finished, set it down and wait another day to proofread so that you can have some other ideas and thoughts to add. Timing yourself with all your assignments as well as studying will basically make college life cake.

Also, I will bold this for for importance: Always check your out your professors on ratemyprofessor.com before entering their class. Trust me on this one!

bludragen88

United States527 Posts

February 05 2009 20:34 GMT

#13

On February 06 2009 04:44 Hot_Bid wrote:
i disagree about the high school friends bit, because during and after undergrad, you become the person you really are. in high school you are often still developing your mind and personality, and the friends you make are often regional and clique-based. in college, most people get a full spectrum of people (or at least the opportunity for more diverse friendships) and these people know you as a person who is closer to the person you'll be for the rest of your life. sure there will be the handful of high school friends that you keep in touch with, but its never the same. i find the friends i made during undergrad and after to be those that i'm closest with. i guess its different for each person, depending on their hs/college experience.

I agree with this entirely. A lot of people are who their friends want them to be, or who their parents want them to be, or what is easiest based on circumstances while in high school. You'll find so many of your friends that change into people you barely recognize within your first year of college, once they have the freedom to do so. I think you find out who your real friends (out of your high school bunch) definitely aren't pretty quickly... but you only find which people are worthwhile to hang out with/talk with in junior or senior year of university... and you should really stick to those high school friends. Using that rule of thumb I've realized which of my friends in high school were for convenience sake, and which I really do get along with. And that's for your own sake as well as your friend's sake ... not only do they need to get out and experiment to figure out who they really want to be, you need to also in order to find your own niche/place, and you can't do that while trapped in the confines of your past patterns with your old group of friends.

And all of the stuff about studying and not procrastinating... everyone knows what you "should do" when it comes to work. Study hard and early, however works best for you (lecture notes, textbook, practice questions, practice exams)... sleep well and in a regular pattern... blah blah blah. What it really comes down to is this: If you learn the material because you're interested in it and want to learn it well/get something out of it, you can get a lot out of whatever class you take, and you'll do well in the class - even without cramming the day before the final. The difference between really caring and not caring can make up for a huge number of hours of repetitive practice problems or reading the book late into the morning before a test, because all the connections in the material will start to form. If you don't believe me, try it - or pm me and I'll explain further.

b3tty

Canada216 Posts

February 05 2009 21:04 GMT

#14

On February 06 2009 05:15 kidd wrote:

Also, I will bold this for for importance: Always check your out your professors on ratemyprofessor.com before entering their class. Trust me on this one!

always do this.

if you can't switch out of a class with a bad prof, look for what times the other sections of the course is being taught and sit in on those lectures.

omninmo

2349 Posts

February 06 2009 01:32 GMT

#15

I went to school in athens, ga. possibly the best college town in the south. anyway, i took summer classes every year so that my load was lighther in the fall and spring semesters. this would be my advice to people who can bear year round school. it was pretty badass though taking 9-12 hours max every semester

EvoChamber

France2505 Posts

February 17 2009 04:31 GMT

#16

Interesting points, but you should probably mention that the university you attend is a weird anomalous place that has different standards and practices than pretty much all other US universities.

passby20

United States47 Posts

February 17 2009 06:19 GMT

#17

7?) Realize that others' experiences are not your own, so take their advice with a grain of salt. Good general suggestions don't necessarily apply to you, so figure out by works and what doesn't (for you) by trying them for yourself.

OneOther

United States10774 Posts

February 17 2009 06:23 GMT

#18

this is some good stuff. thanks a lot man.

SpiritoftheTunA

United States20903 Posts

February 17 2009 06:37 GMT

#19

thanks for the advice!

i'll be sure to take 1 and 2 to heart this fall

i think i'm pretty good at 3 4 and 5 already though

KOFgokuon

United States14904 Posts

February 17 2009 07:53 GMT

#20

word
i only talk to 1 kid from high school, but I still talk to 4-5 of my friends from outside of school because i never felt like I had to change who i was to fit in with them, I could always just be myself