Coming to a college campus can be very scary if it is your first time. Especially at a school like UW-Madison that is so big you can barely keep track of yourself let along thousands of other students. So the best thing you can do is familiarize yourself with the campus and develop good study habits.
A good study habit to develop early on is what I like to call “studying on-time” which basically translates to studying more than 24 hours before a test. A week or so before, take smaller amounts of time, anywhere between 30-60 minutes, to study in chunks to help maintain the data instead of cramming a day or less before the exam.
Another good habit is finding a good place to study. I never went to a library because it really was not a product environment. College libraries at UW are treated as more of a social experience rather than a educational one. So I took a lot of time to set up my desk in my apartment so I could study alone and comfortably.
Lastly, a good habit to develop is making sure you actually go to class and when you get to class, you take worthwhile notes. Find a notetaking method where you are able to retain information while only writing what is important or noteworthy to know. Taking too much or too little notes can hinder your performance greatly. So find something that works for you and your studying habits.
