Hello everyone!
We only have a week and a half of classes left before finals begin which means lots of time spent studying and writing essays before this semester ends. This past weekend I was able to fly home to Minnesota and spend the weekend with family and friends that I haven’t seen in three months. This semester I have 3 tests, 2 essays, and 1 project to complete in the next couple of weeks. My exploration and discovery class has our final essay due and an exam, in international affairs and Chinese class we have our last exam, and in my colonial Latin American history class, we have group projects along with a short essay.
I am going to talk a little about study tips and organizing tips that I’ve found personally useful during this semester and the best place to study:
- Group Studying vs. Solo Studying
This semester I’ve done a mix of studying with a group of people as well as studying on my own. Definitely studying with people can lead to more distractions but if we are all on task it can also be really productive and motivating to be surrounded by others who are doing work. If I am studying material for a class I enjoy working with other people because we can quiz each other and clarify things but when I am trying to read my textbooks I prefer being alone so I can focus on understanding the content. I also like being around my friends when I am working on essays because I can ask them for advice and to review my writing.
- Use a Planner!!
I think one of the easiest things you can do to help yourself stay organized and be productive is utilizing a planner. I just have a little one from Target that I use every day but you should use whatever style of notebook, journal, a planner that works for you. After every class, I write my homework down so I don’t forget about it. I also frequently go through the calendar that is in mine and add things like meetings, appointments, when things are due, and fun plans I may have so I can see my month easily all at once. I personally also really enjoy crossing things off when they’re done because it makes me feel productive and accomplished when I get everything crossed out for the day.
- Spreading it Out
When it comes to studying, I feel that it is really helpful to spread out your studying. Sometimes you do need to cram the night before - we have all done it - but if you can spread it out over a few days or even a week it really helps! For my international affairs class, I have found that when my friends and I study together for a little bit each night the week leading up to the exam I feel way more prepared and less stressed about the exam. Overall this method is less stressful, it can be easier to manage (since it’s just a little time each day), and you’ll do better because you have been exposed to the information multiple times and are able to understand the material rather than just memorizing it.
- Going in with a plan/goal
I think going in with a study plan or goal helps keep you on task and productive. Sometimes when I head to the library I bring all my different assignments and don’t actually get anything done. For example, I’ll be working on an essay but then still be thinking about some reading I have to do so then I try to do that instead. I have found that sometimes I just need to focus on one thing at a time. Going into the library it is better when I know exactly what I plan to work on and sticking to it.
- Sleep!
Personally, for me, I have been sleeping more in college than I ever did in high school. I have been getting all my homework done, doing sports, and various clubs/other activities and still getting plenty of sleep. One thing is that I just do have more time to get my stuff done than I did in high school since I don’t have 7 classes in a row. I also have just come to the realization that sleep is something I want to prioritize since I know I won’t do as well in general if I am tired the next day. Sleep is also just good for your body and mind which helps you then retain information better and do well on tests. I still spend a lot of time studying and definitely do stay up later when I need to but any night that I can get to bed earlier I do. I also don’t let myself study past midnight because I know that by then I’m not really benefiting from the studying. The big thing here is that if you have good time management by spreading out your work, staying organized, and not procrastinating until the last hour you will have plenty of time to do fun things and sleep too.
Some of my fave place to study:
- Watzek Library
In Watzek there are lots of different places you can study. So far, I have found that I really like studying in the conference rooms & group study rooms. You can easily reserve the different rooms for periods of time and they’re nice to be in because they have big tables and you’re not distracted by other people in the library. I really like the big meeting room on the third floor of Watzek because it has a huge table, fun spinning chairs, and large windows. The silent sections of the library are also really nice - especially at night. They’re cool because they have open tables as well as more private desks to study at and it is always quiet (but sometimes it’s too quiet), the area also is lined with windows which makes it feel really big. On the second floor past the silent section, there is a little area with tables, couches, and a fireplace which is just nice and cozy and can be a fun place to study.
- Outside!!
When it is warm and sunny out I love nothing more than sitting out in the sun on the grass and studying. The LC campus really is beautiful and this year we had a lot of sun in September and October so I was out every afternoon soaking up the sun. Sitting down by the reflecting pool or on the lower lawns are great places to study. There are picnic tables down by the outdoor swimming pool which are nice too. Sometimes my friends will hang up their hammocks to do some reading in which is also really nice - I am looking forward to putting my own hammock up sometime in the spring when the sun comes out. - Dorm Common Rooms
I have found that I don’t really like studying in my personal dorm room just because I get more distracted and I also like to try to separate my living space from school as much as I can. However, I have done a lot of work just hanging out in the common rooms of my dorm, Copeland, and my friend's dorms too. The common rooms are nice because they have tables, chairs, and couches and sometimes you just don’t want to walk to the library, Sometimes I’ll bring some snacks into my common room and sit down and work on things.
- Coffee Shops Downtown
In high school, I frequently did my homework at coffee shops alone and with my friends. Since coming to college I haven’t gone to very many coffee shops to study mostly because I study at night and going downtown at night just to do homework isn’t what I am feeling up to do. I did go to a coffee shop a little while ago to work on an essay and it was nice to be in a different location other than campus. If I have something big and just need to sit down for a few hours and work I’ll head downtown.
I hope these tips were helpful or interesting - they’re just the things that have been working for me so far so I thought I’d share it with you all.
Have a wonderful day,
Sarah