Pointers for Academic Success

Organization and Time Management:
Get organized! Read and periodically refer to your class syllabus. Also use a daily, weekly and/or monthly planner to remind you of assignments that need to be completed.

Read Assignments in Advance:
Read assignments before the class meets. (Don’t put them off just because there’s not a written assignment.) Reading the chapter summaries first will familiarize you with what the chapter is about. As you read, list questions about confusing material so that you can ask for clarification during class. Remember that if you have a question about something you do not understand, it’s more than likely other people in the class are also confused.

Class Attendance:
Go to class! College provides more free time than high school, making it more tempting to miss classes every once in a while. But nothing can replace the learning that can occur in the classroom. Develop the good habit of being present in class and participate…be an active contributor to your education.

Take Good Notes:
Learn good note-taking skills: listen for the main points that a professor emphasized during class, pay attention to what a professor copies on the board, summarize class discussion, use the margins to add your own thoughts about the subject. After class rewrite and review your notes, identifying the key concepts, so you can understand how everything is cohesive.

Review:
Take a few minutes to review class notes on a daily basis. This emphasizes long-term learning rather then having to relearn everything before an exam. This process also assists in eliminating test anxiety because you avoid cramming for a test and come prepared for the test instead.

Establish a Routine Time to Study for Each Class:
For every hour you spend in class, you should plan on spending two hours studying outside of class. Studying for each subject should be at the same time and same place if possible. Studying is more than just doing your homework. You will need to go over your notes, study your syllabus, complete your reading assignments, and prepare for each class as if there will be a pop quiz.

Establish a Place to Study:
Your place should have a desk, comfortable chair, good lighting, all the supplies you need, and should be as free of distractions as possible. It should not be a place where you routinely do other things. This is your study place.

Study as Much as Possible in the Daytime:
What takes an hour to do during the day may take upwards of an hour and a half at night.

Schedule Breaks:
Take a ten-minute break after every hour of study. If possible, avoid long blocks of time for studying. Spread out several short study sessions during the day.

Make use of Study Resources on Campus: Find out about and use the learning centers, tutors, learning resources and media, and computer programs.

Form a Study Group:
Studies show that students who study with someone routinely get better grades. You will probably find yourself more motivated when you have to meet with someone else to study. Teaching a new concept or new idea to someone else is a sure way for you to understand it. Be careful though…studying in a group or with a partner can sometimes become too social. Remember to stay focused.

Study the Hardest Subject First:
Work on your hardest subjects at a time when you are fresh. Putting them off until you are tired compounds the problem.

Develop Exam Strategies:
Taking tests can be nerve-wracking! Find out as much as possible about the type of exam that you are going to be taking. Concentrate on the material that you are unsure of or confused about when studying. During the exam answer the questions you are confident about first, then return to the questions you are unsure about. Try to eliminate as many choices as you can and then make your best educated guess.

Develop Your Writing Skills:
Make sure you understand what your professor has specified as guidelines for your papers. Sometimes developing an outline is useful. Ask someone to proofread one of your rough drafts so that you can make necessary revisions. Use the Writing Center to get assistance with completing your written assignments.

Get to Know Your Professors:
Visit them periodically during their office hours. Office hours are intended to assist you in getting to know your professors. Don’t be afraid to ask for clarification about assignments, study material or lecture material. Also, don’t be afraid to find out from your professor how you are doing in class.

Visit Your Academic Advisor:
Your advisor is there to help you navigate your way through college. We are here to answer your questions, celebrate your successes and be your advocate.

Be Good to Yourself:
Studying on four hours of sleep and an empty stomach or junk-food diet is a waste of time. Avoid food and drink containing caffeine just before or just after studying.

(Adapted from U of U Academic Success Workshop AND Practicing CollegeLearning Strategies , 3rd edition by Carolyn Hopper)