If you’re anything like me, studying was a joke in high school. Luckily, I didn’t have to really study at all in order to get good grades, which led my English teacher to tell me, “I can’t wait until you get to college, then you’ll HAVE to learn how to study.”
And well what do you know, a few short months later I was met with this very task. In order to make your lives easier as incoming freshman, I pass along a few tips if you’re learning how to study for the very first time as you enter college:
- Try out different study spots. Luckily, campus here at UW is brimming with study spaces for students of all different kinds of needs. Check out the libraries, class building or even dining halls, because sometimes the most unexpected places provide you with the best focus for schoolwork.
- Find a study partner-or don’t. Even to this day, I find that when it comes down to it, studying is something I do better on my own. Sure I get distracted regardless of what I’m doing but add in a friend to that equation, and it’s a guarantee that I won’t be done with my homework any time soon.
- TAKE BREAKS. Although there are times when I can get on a roll (for some reason these power bouts only occur around 3 a.m….), I am a firm believer in taking breaks when studying. Whether it’s just to go to the bathroom or eat some food, study breaks give your mind and body time to recharge. While you may think it’s more productive to cut out a short break from your planned study time, that break will refresh you and make your future study time that much more effective!