Transitioning from highschool to college can be an exciting but also stressful period of life. You may find yourself living at a new place, learning how to adapt or recreate your studying strategies, finding or making new friends, keeping up with old friends, managing extracurricular activities, or figuring out whichcourses to take. This post were some advice/tips that I created when I was in 3rd year aimed to help others in similar positions.
Advice 1: You’re not alone.
There are other first year students too who are facing just about the same things. You would even be surprised if you talked to another first year and ask how they are doing, they will tell you a similar problem as above. For example, a common one is “waahh, I failed my midterms.”
I really emphasize acknowledging that you’re not alone and that once you realize this, do not be embarrassed to ask for help.
In my first year, my first impression after failing my first few midterms was that I didn’t belong here. I was probably overrated. So I felt embarrassed to let anyone know thinking I was the only one. This was until I started making friends and to others that I realized that I was not alone.
The standards in university or college are much higher than highschool. People who get in are often the best students. So the midterms, exams, pacing of the course are much higher than average. You do really find yourself in a new environment.
For me, my main challenges were of course getting the grades I wanted or had always gotten, studying efficiently, making connections with the right people, finding the resources I needed, managing my commitments on extracurricular. As a result, my grades were severely impacted, because I didn’t fully acquire these resources.
I started attending seminars and talking to other students and professors about how to manage my grades. Over time, I learn that I was not the only one who was having all these challenges. Other first years students who I talked to had them as well. Then we started talking and sharing our experiences, and over time, helped each other improved.
So definitely reach out. You will feel less alone, and you will be able to move forward.
Advice 2: Use your resources to help you achieve your goals. This includes the following:
a. Making connections with senior students who can give you advice on studying or share their personal success stories or recommend courses or which professors to take classes with. They can even lend notes or sell you textbooks and save you time looking for them.
b. Talk to your professors or teaching assistants on a regular basis about the class topics. You’ve paid them to teach you, so make use of their time. Some professors and teaching assistants are glad that you are asking them questions because it shows them that you are finding an interest in their class. They may even write reference letters for you in the future or tell you about possible job or volunteer opportunities.
c. Form study groups with students in your class. Study groups are usually consist of two to four people and you usually meet up once a week or a couple times near exam time and talk about the materials.
Advice 3: Choose the courses that interests you and are part of your degree requirement. A common downfall for first year students is taking too many courses and courses that their friends are taking. Take fewer courses and only the courses that you need to take or courses you think you will be interested in. First, taking too many courses will take you too away of your studying time. Second, because you are in the stage where you are just learning how to study, you will have a hard time. Lastly, if you take courses because your friends are taking or courses that you don’t think you will enjoy, you will not be very motivated.
Advice 4: Do not skip classes and keep up with the course materials.This point is strongly recommended. If you ever find yourself behind on your readings or assignments any point in time, it is a clear sign that if you don’t catch up, you will have so much trouble when to studying for exams. You want to make sure your exam studying time is used reviewing materials and not learning new materials.
Advice 5: Come up with some studying philosophies. For instance, if you want to become a doctor, and you see someone across or next to you on the bus with his or her textbooks opened, you might want to open your textbooks as well and study.
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