how to win at college
this also applies to high school in a lot of ways, esp in organization and involvement
I read this book by cal newport called “how to win at college” in prep for my freshman year & u should definitely read it yourself because there are lots of important points i don’t cover in this post, but if you don’t want to, this is my summary of what I think were the most important points he made.
STUDY HARD, BUT YOUR GRADES DON’T MEAN AS MUCH AS WHAT YOU LEARN OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM. he prioritizes getting vital experiences such as
- joining a club and eventually taking responsibility in it and becoming a leader
- apply for scholarships every year (he said 10 a year)
- volunteer, but not for your resume. do it to learn and become a better person.
- get involved in research, and get involved in your major department (like go to the events and lectures, even if they aren’t mandatory)
- write outside of class regularly because writing is super important (example- submit to your school newspaper)
STAY ORGANIZED AND ON TOP OF YOUR SHIT
- he really really REALLY emphasizes not procrastinating and studying / starting papers well in advance of deadlines. his rules are to
- - >start long term projects immediately after they are assigned and continue to work on them by following a reasonable schedule (he says to finish early, revise, then finish again),
- - > take 3 days to write shorter papers (aka you have abt 2 weeks to work on them and they range from 2-15ish pages) (aka make preparations pre writing, then write a rough draft on the first day, revise and focus your writing on the second day (make sure your arguments are very clear!), and polish your paper on the third day), and
- - >take 2 weeks to study for an exam. study in shorter blocks during the first week, like maybe an hour or so each day. over the weekend, add more hours. the few days before the test, study in 2-3 hour chunks to really cement the already familiar information.
- get a filing cabinet for your papers instead of just piling them on your desk and having to search for them later.
- have a HIGH QUALITY notebook and a folder for each class (or whatever stationery keeps you organized) and keep all your folders/notebooks/binders neat and organized.
- empty your inbox and organize your emails
- schedule your free time- aka have specific times that you choose to relax and spend with friends rather than unintentionally relaxing during work time, or worrying about work during relaxation time.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
- you NEED sleep, you NEED healthy food, and you NEED exercise. you really shouldn’t put anything ahead of these things.
- NEVER pull an all nighter. if you’re studying ahead of time, this should be easy. all nighters aren’t glamorous, they’re unproductive, really stressful, and unhealthy
- keep in touch with old friends, and remember to call your mom
- make sure to spend time with new friends and take care of them. be there for your friends.
- keep your room neat and make your bed!!
like i said, there is a lot of important stuff that I didn’t cover so i recommend reading the book how to win at college by cal newport, and take what you need to from it. good luck!!!
