Going into college, I thought I already mastered the whole student thing. I did well in high school without putting in a ton of effort, so I assumed I’d figure things out as I went. First semester definitely humbled me, but it also helped me grow. Through a lot of trial and error, I am figuring out more and more each day about what actually works for me, and here are a few of the habits I want to stick with in the second semester!

Note Taking
One of the biggest changes I made was how I take notes. At the beginning of the semester, I tried typing everything, which was a big flop for me because I would lose focus or not be able to keep up. Writing all my notes by hand was better, but I still couldn’t always keep up, and I felt like I was constantly choosing between listening and writing. What works best is downloading the slideshow or content for the lecture beforehand on my iPad, and then writing on the slides with my Apple Pencil.

Organizing My Class Work
Organization was another area where I had to grow quickly. Once assignments started piling up, I realized that mixing everything together was making things way more stressful than they needed to be. I started keeping each class clearly separated in individual folders, notebooks, or using a five-subject notebook, so everything had its own section.

Using a Calendar!
I didn’t start using Google Calendar until the middle of the semester, but once I did, it was a game-changer for me. Being able to see my entire schedule all in one place really helped me manage my time and be less stressed about what my plan was for each day (which is HUGE for me)! This helped me balance my academic and social life as well, so I always knew what I did and did not have time for.

Study Habits
In high school, I was definitely the kind of student who didn’t study much and still did well. College quickly proved that strategy doesn’t really work anymore. Breaking my studying into sections instead of cramming is honestly the biggest piece of advice I can give right now. I also used whiteboards to work through concepts and draw figures, and finding study spots where I could actually focus made a huge difference.

My first semester of college helped me start to learn that it is okay if not everything goes to plan (which, to be honest, I still struggle with accepting). However, taking time to reflect on what does and does not work allows me to pick and choose what habits will help me excel during the second semester! That’s all for now!

-Jordan