Congratulations! You’ve been admitted to college! Okay, now how do you study?

Introduction

Congratulations! You’re officially a college student. Now, how do you study? It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the new responsibilities and expectations that come with going to college. If you’ve never been in school before, this can be even more challenging—but it doesn’t have to be. I’m here to help you navigate those first few weeks with a plan of action for the next semester.

Get the lay of the land.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the newness of college. Before you even start thinking about what classes to take, it’s important to find out which resources are available on campus and how they can best help you. The best way to do this is by taking a tour of your new school, so make sure that you schedule one as soon as possible! You’ll probably be able to meet with someone who will give you a rundown of all the facilities and programs available at your school, but don’t forget about asking questions too! Depending on what interests you most, there might be a few different things worth checking out before making any decisions.

Find a study spot.

There are a few things to consider when choosing your study spot. First, it should be quiet and comfortable. You’ll want to feel at ease so you can focus on your work without distractions. Second, it should be well-lit so you don’t strain your eyes—this will ensure that the task at hand doesn’t take more than it needs to. Finally, if other people are using the space with you—and sometimes this is inevitable—make sure there isn’t anything distracting about them (talking loudly on their phones or otherwise getting distracted by their phones) so they don’t distract YOU!

Listen to music to help you focus.

Music can do a lot more than just give you something to listen to when you’re bored. It’s also been shown to help with focus, relaxation and efficiency. Studies have found that listening to music while studying can improve your performance by between 5% and 15%. It’s also been shown that music has the power to help people sleep better at night—and get them up in the morning! If you want some inspiration for a playlist of your own, here are some ideas:

• Study Songs: “The Final Countdown,” Europe; “The Safety Dance,” Men Without Hats; “Lose Yourself,” Eminem
• Relaxing Songs: “You Are My Sunshine,” Johnny Cash; “Brahms Lullabye,” Steven Halpern (a friend recommended this one!); “All Around Me” by Mandolin Orange

Do your assignments on time.

By doing your assignments on time, you are showing that you are responsible and can handle a high level of stress. In addition, you’re learning how to manage your time effectively, which is important for college as well as life! How can I do my assignments on time?

• Decide when the assignment is due and then make sure it’s done by then. If the assignment has multiple parts, break it up into smaller steps so that they’re easier to complete in advance. This will allow you to prevent procrastination because most of the work will be done before the deadline arrives!
• Set up an alarm or reminder so that there will be no excuses for missing an assignment deadline again!

Take notes.

You will take the most notes in class. Your teacher is the one that knows exactly what information you need to know, and they’re going to give it to you. What other place are you going to get that information? The textbook? That’s not a bad idea, but make sure your professor agrees with what’s in the book. Take notes on everything: vocabulary words, important concepts and definitions, equations or formulas. Anything that might be tested on an exam should be noted down with plenty of detail so there are no surprises when test day comes along (it’ll be here before we know it). If there are only two people involved in this conversation—you and me—and if I tell you something about myself (like how much I love puppies), then my statement is true for us alone; however if many people are involved in this conversation—say all of humankind—then my statement becomes false because everyone else may have different opinions about puppies than me!

Read your textbook.

When you are starting out a new class, the most important thing to do is read your textbook. This is not the time for skimming or speed reading; you need to be familiar with everything in there before you go into class because this textbook will become your best friend during your coursework. Early on, it’s also a good idea to read through the syllabus and make sure that you understand what each assignment will be asking of you prior to starting on it. That way if there are any surprises when it comes time for deadlines, they won’t catch you off guard and lead to stress over missing an assignment deadline!

Make flash cards.

Flash cards are one of the most effective study tools. They’ve been around for centuries, and they’re still used today because they work! The way it works: Write each word or fact on one side of a card, then turn it over and write the definition or explanation on the other side. You can use flash cards for just about any type of information, from vocabulary words to mathematical equations. You can even use them to practice test questions in preparation for an exam! When you study with flash cards, keep them with you at all times so that when you have a few minutes between classes or during your lunch break, you can spend time reviewing them.

Exercise is key to maintaining sanity while you’re in school.

Exercise is key to maintaining sanity while you’re in school. There are so many benefits of exercising, but let’s focus on these five:

• Exercising helps you stay focused. It gives your brain the stimulation it needs to be productive and alert. If you’re feeling tired or sluggish, exercise is a great way to wake up and get going!
• Exercising helps you sleep better at night. When we exercise, our bodies produce more melatonin (the hormone that makes us feel sleepy), which means we tend to feel more relaxed when we go to bed at night—which leads us into our next point…
• Exercising helps you feel better about yourself by boosting self-esteem and confidence levels! It’s easy for college students like us who have a lot going on all the time not only academically but socially too sometimes forget about taking care of ourselves physically too because there are just so many other things happening around us all day long but taking time out once per week whether it’s doing yoga in class together with friends/roommates or running laps around campus together will help boost those positive vibes even further 🙂

The first few weeks of school are full of new experiences and challenges, but you can approach them with a plan.

You’ve been admitted to college. Now what? The first few weeks of school are full of new experiences and challenges, but you can approach them with a plan. When it comes to the beginning of freshman year, the most important thing is that you’re prepared for everything that comes your way. The first few weeks are also the most stressful—they’re when everyone gets their bearings and starts adjusting to life on campus through classes, clubs and activities, dorm room shenanigans with roommates (or lack thereof), and starting clubs or organizations that could last a lifetime (or not). The first few weeks are exciting too! It’s so good to be here; this is amazing! There’s so much to explore while making friends in your classes. You’ll get lost in all this freedom! But don’t worry if this overwhelming feeling doesn’t fade away quickly—it might not go away completely until later in the year when everything feels more comfortable than it did earlier on.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve survived the first few weeks of college. If you’re like me, it’s been a little overwhelming at times, but I think we’re all doing okay. Now that we’ve got our bearings and know how to study effectively in school, we can keep up with all our classes without falling behind or getting stressed out about deadlines.