Dear Eager Learner,
First let me say, Welcome to the wonderful world of college, where there is so
much to see and do, where there are so many new people to meet and converse with! And
where the beginning of a whole new world opens its doors wide for you, and with every
twist and turn a new opportunity to learn and grown as an educated member of society.
There have been many things I have learned throughout my college experience, so many
things I wish I had known, and much of which has helped me become a better student.
Many of these tools would have assisted me in learning more and being able to take so
much more out of my college education. I want to take this time to give some of these
tricks to you, such as the ABC daily to-do list, the phases of muscle reading, three steps
in disarming a test, and three easy phases for effective writing.
Now I am hoping to have your attention to help you become a better student. The
ABC daily to-do list, I believe is one of the most important tricks. As a typical student,
you will soon learn you burn the candle on both ends, never having enough time to do
everything your life demands. With this tip you will be able to better manage your time,
making sure you have enough time to properly take care of your readings, writings and
study time. Step one: brainstorm tasks by listing everything you have to do tomorrow.
Step two: estimate the time needed for each of those tasks you wrote down. Estimate how
long it may take you to do it, and keep in mind it’s easy to under-estimate your time
available. Step three: rate each of those tasks, depending on priority. This is where the
ABC’s come in to play, with A’s being the most crucial, such as assignments coming
due, or jobs that need to be done immediately. Then make the next ones, the B’s, those
that are important but not immediate like A’s, as these can be postponed if needed. The
C’s are for the tasks that are easy, with no immediate deadline. Now once you have done
that, Step 5: evaluate if this is done at the end of the day. See if there is a pattern; maybe
a lot of the B’s got done before the A’s and you need to reevaluate if they should be put
as B’s. Or see if any of your C’s can just get done! This is a great way to check your
priorities!
Muscle Reading is a great way of “flexing your muscles” when trying to
remember things you have studied. When you think about it, reading is one of the things
you will do most when you are in college, and we have all been there after a long day of
life and you finally get a chance to get some reading assignments done. The next thing
you know, you have no idea what you have just read for the last two hours!! There are
three phases of Muscle Reading that will easily help you solve this problem. With just a
couple of steps, you’re going to be able to remember key phrases, be able to think clearly
and think critically. The three phases to help you work those brain muscles: Phase one is
considered the ‘before phase’. What you want to do is preview, which includes skimming
the chapter for any bold text or subtitles This phase is all about making sure you know
what you are getting yourself into so you are prepared for the topic that is about to be
presented to you. Then phase 2: outline anything you think may be important and go over
the outline the book may have provided. This will help you think ahead of the material
that is in the book. Phase 3: ask yourself, “What does this chapter present?”
Now, as a student, you are well aware of the fact that there will be tests. Don’t
panic, there are ways to pass a test! There are some simple preventative measures you can
take in order to be ready to pass a test, for example, preparing! That is the best way to
take a test, if you have read the material, taken good notes and understand the material;
you have nothing to worry about! Try to study the material a little more just before a test,
that way it’s right there and ready for you. When you do study, though, make sure it is in
a quiet, restful and comfy spot. You will be able to receive the information better with no
distractions. When taking the test, read each question slowly and clearly, consider the
how-to in solving the questions; like in a math test, should it be an equation? Or even
possibly a thought? Then compute the answers - can you eliminate any of the answers?
Do any of them not make any sense? Always go back and check your answer. If it’s
something like an equation, then put that number into the equation and see if it works.
Personally, when it came to taking tests, anxiety was my nemesis. What I have learned is
that you can’t allow yourself to panic. Try actually exercising before a test. This will
allow you to release some of that built-up tension before the test. There are other ways to
relive the stress of a test; get a good night’s rest the night before so your mind is clear and
ready to work, arrive to the test early so you’re not stressed about time, even try doing the
easy questions first so you have enough time to do the harder questions.
Now hand in hand, you will have papers to write in college! Some will be
intimidating to say the least, but don’t worry! First, just start it. You can go back to it at a
later time if you need to, but get off your butt and start writting Phase one: getting ready
to write. First, find a topic you want to write about. Then start gathering your thoughts,
brainstorm ideas. You can do this with yourself or even a group if you need to bounce
ideas off someone. Once you get ideas, start talking about them. If you are confused
about something, find the answer! Sometimes talking it out is the best way to get your
ideas flowing. Now just write! Put your pen to the paper and just begin. You can edit
later, making your ideas clearer when you finish, but ‘til then just write. This would be
considered your first draft. Now what to do with your first draft? Well, let’s start into
phase two, writing the paper. Your first draft should be considered nothing special; it’s
your starting point. Write what you feel is good and don’t worry about grammar yet,
worry about writing. If you need to put it away for a while, do it. Once you have gotten
the first draft done, it’s on to phase three, time for revising. Now you ask why? You did
all this work, the answer? To make it look presentable. Look for grammar, run on
sentences, or even check to make sure it makes sense! Then once you have all looked
over it, rewrite it again. Or even see if you can’t get another pair of eyes on the paper
they might be able to see what you missed, you could be surprised.
Now it is time we say our goodbyes, for I’m sure you are about over the old
college student rambling on, but keep in mind I've been there done that, so maybe I have
picked some advice along the way. Try to keep some of these tricks around so you can go
back to them, and imagine me saying “I told you so!” Don’t stress about your journey
through college, it will be tough, might make you cry a little, but it will be fun and
exciting! You will make new friends, and college will open so many more doors for you
in the future. Don’t stress
Sincerely,
Me.