looking back at my first semester of college, there are several things i wish i had done that definitely would have made my life easier, especially during finals season. by listing them here, i hope to remind you all (and my future self) of ways to stay on stop of your work during this semester — by the time finals roll around, you should be good to go!
start assignments early
if you have an important essay or test coming up, start working on it early so that you have time to meet with your teacher if need be. if you leave everything for the night before, you won’t be able to have any questions answered. give yourself time to formulate questions and go get help.
take notes on slides
if your teacher provides you with the slides from class, print them out and take notes directly on them. this makes taking notes during class easier, as you don’t need to waste time writing down information that is already provided to you. but more importantly, taking notes on slides makes it easier to study because your notes will likely be a lot simpler and easier to understand. from personal experience, i can say that i tend to do a lot better on tests when i’ve taken notes on the slides, than when i have to decipher my illegible notes from months ago.
keep everything
keep all of your old worksheets and papers, no matter how pointless they seem. you never know when you might need help reviewing a topic. when you do, you’ll be able to pull out that old assignment and practice it in order to improve your understanding.
study alone
in many cases, studying with friends can be a distraction. i think most people tend to be more productive when they do work on their own. i wish i had separated myself from my friends more. i recommend finding a study spot where you are very productive and frequently going there by yourself.
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