Great study habits and tips.

Hello everyone!

It's the middle of the week and I just had my first midterm of the semester (woop woop!). I felt pretty great about it. Then I realized, why don't I share some tips regarding school and make a post that might help other people. 
Therefore, here it goes.

Side note, these tips are based on my opinion, and experience and I'm currently in my second year in University.

1. Do not skip class.

First one on the list. Seriously, you're paying for your tuition fee so that you can learn and educate yourself not to skip the lectures. Skipping class won't do you any good. You might be thinking that studying at home and reading your textbook or the lecture slides are enough or you also might be thinking that you can go to the mall and catch up with the course material later at home. Well my friend, that is a twisted thinking (it truly is, sorry). If you start skipping class, piles and piles of work will be loaded on you like chapter readings, homeworks, reports, your "self-study" and just more stress and pressure. Who wants that? No one, so don't you ever skip class (unless it's an urgent matter - shopping not included).

2. Ask for help.

Here's a scenario. You're having a hard time in class and you have no idea what your prof is talking about every time he's speaking. Words go in and out of your ears. But wait, he's offering you his office hours. You started writing down the time and the room number and you thought to yourself that you're definitely going to ask for his help. What happens next? You don't show up. You think that everyone might see you and think about you as a stupid (pardon the word) person who doesn't know anything. So, you go on with your life pretending that you know everything. Well, here's a fact: you're in school cause you don't know anything and you want to learn. Professors are there to help you but only if you're willing to receive help. They're very approachable and they love students coming in for extra help because they can see that you are committed in your learning. It can be intimidating at first but hey, you want to ace that exam right?! Getting to know your prof and making a connection with them is really really important as well because you might need them at the end of your studies. So, go and use those precious office hours!

3. Take proper notes.

I'm going to admit that I was that person who writes down everything (as in verbatim) that's on the lecture slide. Then I go home and re-read my notes and realize that I have no clue on what the prof said about that specific slide. Therefore, my notes are somehow useless (well, really useless). Anyways, taking proper notes are key to successful studying. You don't have to write every single word on the slide, all you have to do is jot down the words that are significantly important. Also, if your prof is posting the lecture slides online, listening while writing down what he/she is saying is the best thing (again, just the significant phrases or sentences). This way, when you go back and read your notes, your brain will remember what your prof talked about regarding that topic. Significant words will help you remember the key things from the lesson.

4. Get organized.
Organizing is fun (well, for me)! Have you ever been in the situation where you heard from your friend that the midterm is tomorrow and you did not know about it? If not, I'm happy for you! For those who experienced this before, my advice to you is to organize your notes, your schedule, and your whole life. Grab a tiny notebook (and your colourful pens) to write down your to-do list, or make your phone really useful by using its calendar (yes, phones have calendars. haha). When your prof talks about the important dates and all the due dates for your assignment or reports, the best thing to do is not to memorize all of it but to write it down so you won't forget about it. Easy peasy. Also, you will be the one who's on top of everything!

5. STOP PROCRASTINATING!
I can't emphasize this tip enough as much as I want to. 
If you don't know what procrastination is (good for you cause maybe you're not doing it), Wikipedia states that "Procrastination is the practice of carrying out less urgent tasks in preference to more urgent ones, or doing more pleasurable things in places of less pleasurable ones, and thus putting off impending tasks to a later time, sometimes to the "last minute" before the deadline." I believe most students do this. Right?
I was a victim of procrastination (not gonna lie) in my first year in University. It might seem that you can handle everything at the last-minute, but this will definitely make you feel really pressured and stressed. The way I changed this habit relates back to tip #4. I organized myself and listed my priorities. I made a use on that calendar as well.

I hope this post helped some of you.
Do you have any tips that you might want to add?

xo
Jedi
☀