It still feels so strange to be at Iowa, but I feel like I’m finally settling into a routine here, especially with doing classwork. It truly is an entirely different ballgame from studying in high school. For example, in high school, I would study 2-3 days before the test just by rewriting my notes from memory and then correcting them until I got everything right, or doing practice problems in review packets my teachers gave me. This has not proven to be effective so far in college. I haven’t had any tests yet, but after just one week of classes, there’s already been enough information in some of my classes to fill half of a chapter of material from a high school class. With the amount of information I’m getting from each class every day, my old study habits are just not enough. I can barely remember anything just a few hours after the lecture, let alone understand it for a test.
So, instead, I’m trying something new this week. Since all of the required readings for the entire semester are listed in the syllabus, I spent Sunday and Monday taking notes on all the information for all of my classes this week. Then, when I go to class, I can use a different color to add information the professor brings up in class. This should theoretically create cues for the information, which will help me remember it later. Then, I plan to study all the new material with flashcards and active recall later in the week so that when the exam comes, I don’t have to try to cram all the content into my memory.
If you’re wondering how I came up with this system, it’s easily Google-able. I found tons of videos and articles from students, teachers, and psychologists describing similar methods and then combined them to fit my schedule. If you’re also struggling, even though it’s only the second week, you should do some research on effective study methods that might help you!
Thanks for reading, everyone,
Happy studying!
-Jayden