My first semester at the University of Tulsa started well, but things took a turn for the worst around midterms. In high school, I was used to just coasting by through classes and getting good grades. I never really had to work too hard to achieve success, just a constant light brush up on the materials. In college, however, I quickly learned that the old way of doing things would not suffice.
My notes were not as detailed as they could be, as well as being disorderly. I frequently put off assignments and only worked on them the day they were doing. My roommate, Jack, and I would regularly pull all-nighters cramming for exams we had. I got by, but I was by no means excelling. Failing one of my classes made me realize that what I was doing wasn’t working. It wasn’t until next semester that things turned around.
One of the biggest things holding me back was how disorderly I was. To succeed, you need to have everything planned out and access any papers or notes you might need. What I did was carry around a planner, although a virtual calendar would work as well. I wrote down all the dates where I’d have a quiz, exam, or assignment due. When you’re easily able to see everything you have to do, you’re less likely to forget about it or have it spring upon you.
Another strategy that helped me out was studying a little bit every day. There wasn’t a lot of information covered in high school. In college, what you’re expected to know is too much to cram for before an exam. On top of that, cramming doesn’t help you learn, and you’ll be confused for the next exam. By doing a little bit of work each day, you get more familiar with the topic and better understand when it’s time for quizzes and exams.