10 study tips for making it through college! 

Carina, T2C College Student

1. Find what works for you: some people are early birds, some are night owls; some prefer to study with a pal, others need complete and total silence. Experiment to find what’s most effective for you, and then stick with it!
2. Go to Class: One of the first steps to academic success is actually going to class.  If you are absent, contact your professor and make up your work immediately.
3. Meet with your Professor: Be sure to go to office hours or schedule an appointment to ask questions. Refer to your syllabus for your professor’s office hours and contact information.
4. Form study groups: Study groups help reduce procrastination when you have regular meetings as well as provide an excellent opportunity to fill in gaps in your notes!
5. Know your distractions: So, put your phone on silent and avoid twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. Also, know where you can study- sometimes studying at home is not the best.
6. Take your time and space out your study time: Don not cram! We easily make mistakes or read without knowing what we read when we cram.
7. Relax: take a break, have a snack, and head outdoors. Being in nature lowers stress and increases your creativity and brain health as well as your ability to pay attention and retain new information.
8. Test Yourself: Use past exam papers. This is great for not only testing your knowledge but also familiarizing yourself with the exam format and structure. Use practice questions provided in your text if available.
9. Eat Well, Exercise and Stay Hydrated: Fueling your mind is an essential element to increase focus and concentration. Make sure to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well to exercise at least 30 minutes a day. Also, water is vital to the brain and nervous system functions. If you’re the slightest bit dehydrated (even by 1%) you’re more likely to have decreased in reasoning, attention, memory, and language. So remember DRINK UP!
10. Treat Yourself: Knowing there’s a little reward waiting for us at the end of just a few pages makes it easier to beat procrastination while slogging through a semester’s worth of notes. Take care of yourself for what you accomplish when studying, it’s not easy to make it that much more worth it!