After finishing my fall semester, I have decided to compile some study strategies that will hopefully help any other college students out there (especially the premeds). These tips helped me get a 4.0 at an Ivy League school.
Cornell Note-taking is KEY. Especially if you use the question-answer format. For example, for my Biology class, I took notes on the lectures in the question-answer format. By covering one side with my hand and answering the questions out loud every day, I aced all the midterms and the final.
Study every day or at least most days. Trust me, cramming everything at the end is not fun. It may have worked well for a high school class but college classes have so much more material and it’s not worth it.
If you live on your college campus, I recommend finding a study spot that not many undergraduates or your classmates use. Whenever I go to the most popular study spot at my school, I can practically feel the stress in the air and I just cannot focus. On the other hand, if that kind of thing motivates you, go for it.
For papers and essays, write your drafts as early as you can and then go to your professor’s office hours. They will appreciate the time and effort you’re putting into the assignment. For my Writing class, I went to my professor’s office hours every week and kept asking her to look over my essay. I can guarantee I definitely wasn’t the best writer in that class but she appreciated the effort I put in and gave me an A.
For STEM courses or problem set heavy courses like Econ or Math, practice problems and office hours are so important. If you have practice problems in your textbook, do ALL OF THEM. I know it sucks and it can be terribly boring but it will pay off! Also, if you do not understand something on your homework, go to the professor’s office hours. Most of the time, you and the professor will solve it together and then you will definitely have the right answer (This is so perfect if your homework is graded on accuracy rather than completion).
Be friendly to the TA. Even if you are going to miss a recitation or two, make sure you ask questions and participate in the ones that you attend. That way, the TA will recognize your face when it comes time to put in your participation grade or give you a bonus point or two on your exam.
When you are in class, especially large lecture halls where the professor cannot see what you are doing, turn off your phone or put it on silent. Then stuff it in the deepest part of your bag. Do not look at it until the lecture is over. If you take notes on the computer, turn off your WiFi and take notes on Word.
Life is too short not to party a little. Remember to spend some time with your friends or go out every once in a while. I have found that taking a few nights off helps keep me from becoming burnt out.
Always remember that you are extremely lucky for being able to get an education. There are thousands of people who do not have this kind of opportunity. College can definitely be hard and I have had some bad days but in the end, mistakes help you learn. It is better to fail at something new you tried than never do it at all and never learn from it.
Thanks for reading! Hope you all have a wonderful Spring semester!
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