Tips on How to Study and Have an AMAZING college semester!

Week 1 of my Fall 2015 semester at Penn State just wrapped up!  I'm SOOO excited to be back on campus and seeing my international student friends that went back home for the summer.  It's been a whirlwind of a week, but I'm feeling confident in my abilities to WIN THIS SEMESTER because I'm prepping NOW for the work to come LATER.

So, how do you set yourself up for a GREAT SEMESTER?

Check In With Your Adviser

Seriously!  I know that sometimes it seems like they're not really needed, but trust me they're an AMAZING resource!  Our advisers have taught some of the classes and they're ALL Registered Dietitian Nutritionists. So, they not only know the actual work load of the classes (not what the university THINKS the work load is) AND they're knowledgeable in the dietetics field as a whole!

PLUS, if you are willing to cultivate a relationship with your adviser they'll be more inclined to give you a letter of recommendation!

Use a Planner System and Make It VISIBLE

I put in ALL of my class times, exams, project due dates, quizzes, homework due dates, and MORE into my Hotmail/Microsoft calendar!  I also have my Android phone set up to display my Hotmail calendar.

Since I have Windows 8 I know can see my reminders on my laptop, main PC, tablet, and phone!  Since I have the memory of a gold fish, this is INSANELY helpful for me!  I have set multiple reminders for various things.  For example, I give myself a week and then a few days heads up for exams.

While this will initially be a time sink, it'll be worth it because you'll never wonder if something is due a certain day again!

I also put my outside of school life in this system, so I don't have to worry about promising to have team meetings during the same time I have a Beachbody client call or a call with one of my Beachbody coaches.  I'm also a TA for a class this semester AND doing research for the university.  You see WHY I need a concrete planner system??  Haha!

Assign Yourself Study Hours and STICK WITH THEM

This is the hardest thing for me!  I am someone that needs to study regularly so that I don't feel overwhelmed before an exam.  This is also an AMAZING principle to put into practice from the book "The Slight Edge".

I tweak my study time throughout the semester depending on how well I already know the material.  For example, in my biochemistry class we're currently covering the same information I had in my physiology, microbiology, and chemistry classes, so I'm going to spend less time on that class and just review the material.

Know How You Learn

You can take a quick test at Education Planner to find YOUR style of learning!  Once you know it, embrace it and design your study plan around it!

I do NOT learn well in groups!  I just don't!  I HATE group study sessions with a passion.  Yes, hate!  I realize that's a really strong word but you know what, it's true for me.  =P

I'm a visual learner that needs repetition.

I learn best by taking notes in class, printing and reading the slides from class, highlighting the notes from class, and then combining the notes from class with the info in the slides.  Depending on the difficulty of the course, I'll then type up those last batch of notes and then highlight those too!  Haha!

General Tip: CHANGE UP THE COLOR or the FONT of your notes!

This is something I learned in my 101 psychology class.  It gets your mind to reconnect to the notes instead of wandering off, consciously or not.  This is why I highlight.  I used FOUR different colors when I highlight and the coloring has NO SYSTEM.  The point is to draw my EYE and my MIND back to the material.  This has helped me so much!

Turn drive/ride time into STUDY TIME

Study something on the bus, if you don't get motion sickness, instead of listening to music or checking social media.

I have started taking the bus, and while I have to get up earlier to ensure I get to class on time, I have found that I really enjoy the time I'm spending on the bus because I've been using it to read The Slight Edge or my notes.

OR

Record your classes and play the back when you're driving!  This is something else that I have done and it was helpful!

Get to know your professor AND answer questions in class!

Why?  It shows engagement and aren't you more willing to help people when they show interest in what you're doing/teaching?  Yes, all professors should be willing to help you.  However, how willing are they to give you a letter of recommendation if they don't even know you?  Or ask you to be their TA?  Or ask you to help them with research??

See where I'm going with this?  Your relationship with your professors does NOT have to end in the classroom!  So many opportunities for you to improve your experience arises from connecting with them, especially if you can get real world experience in the field you're getting your degree in.  That knowledge is PRICELESS!

Spring Semester at Penn State

Tomorrow is the first day of Spring semester at Penn State and I'm elated and nervous at the same time.  This isn't my first semester back, it's my second, but it will be my first semester blogging throughout it.  I had wanted to blog about my first semester back but at the same time felt terrified to because of self-doubt and nagging thoughts.  What if I fail?  Who would want to read about someone failing?  How is that inspirational?

Looking back, I regret not voicing those fears because it's bloggers that share with that level of intimacy that inspire me and, more importantly, remind me that I'm not alone!  Everyone experiences fears and doubt but I think that, for some reason, we like to pretend that the general populous doesn't.  That we're somehow different, or worse "broken", because we feel doubtful while Joe Whomever seems to always have his stuff together.  Let me tell you, they don't.  No one is 100% perfect and that's OK!  It's expected!

As far as my imperfection goes, I didn't get the C I needed in Chemistry.  In a way, I'm happy that I didn't because dealing with the class taught me a lot about what I need to change in the ways of my study habits and schedule in order to succeed.  I found out about Penn State's online test anxiety resource center, which actually helped raise my exam grades in other classes; I learned that I need to put everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) into my digital calendar instead of using a physical one like I used to; I learned how long before different subjects I needed to study to do the best I could on the exam (Nutrition and Physiology = 2 days prior; Anatomy and Chemistry = 1 week+ prior); I got a harsh reminder that studying in certain classes has to happen everyday (hence the D in chemistry).

I was also reminded that I NEED to exercise at least 5 days a week!  It has to happen.  It's how I release my stress and while I did walk around 5-6 miles a day, it wasn't the intense cardio that T25 gave me.

Now, before the semester even started, I've started my studying since my text books are in (the Chemistry book is an eBook) AND I researched resources others have used to help them with chemistry and I wound up picking up Chemistry for Dummies I and II.

Two texts that I'm going to worship this semester!

I cannot wait for this semester to start!  I cannot wait to meet my professors!  And, most importantly, I can't wait to be one step closer to my dream of becoming a Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist (they changed the title last year).

If you're studying this major to please let me know!  We could help each other!  I did get an A in my Nutrition 251 and a B in my physiology class so don't let the chem grade scare you off.  XD