University Student need help!

[kidspot]

For what it's worth - I found I need to understand the big picture first, then fit the ideas into it so I had a framework in which to structure my thoughts on a subject - If I didn't get the overall thinking process of my profs, then it became much more difficult to grasp the material.

My Dad told me before my first semester "Learn how your professor thinks, then you'll be able to learn from him" sometimes tougher when you have a professor with a very different way of thinking from yourself, but makes the learning process much smoother...

Best wishes to you

 

[jonnythan]

Tutor your friends.

Seriously. You'll be amazed.

 

[Parrothead_Diver]

Tutor your friends.

Seriously. You'll be amazed.

This worked for me... My wife, a public relations major, now has a detailed understanding of Differential Calculus. Or at least she pretends too.

Either way, it really helped to be able to teach someone else.

My method for studying was as follows:

1 hr, Subject 1
10-15 min, Break
1 hr, Subject 2
10-15 min, Break
1 hr, Subject 3
1 hr, Break
Repeat....

 

[jonnythan]

Even stuff I think I have totally down, I realize I don't until someone starts asking tough questions because *they* don't understand it. Teach, teach, teach

 

[divetahoe]

Tutor your friends.

Seriously. You'll be amazed.

Even if you can't tutor, pretend that you are, and give yourself a lecture on the topic(s). Don't worry about the format, go for the "stream of consciousness" rambling from point A to a logical point Z that covers everything you can about it.

You'll find that you'll make connections that you didn't know you could make with information you didn't realize you had, and find holes that you didn't think existed. And overall, you will be able to figure out how best the information you *do* have can be organized in your head. That will then give you a schema to hang new info onto.

Wierd, but it works.

Also, don't cram the night before a test. It will only confuse. Review? yes. Cram no.

FWIW...

 

[Avic7]

wow thanks for all the helpful insights...keep them coming and I will keep trying them all! Thank You so much guys!!!

 

[DA Aquamaster]

There is some good stuff already mentioned above.

What I suggest to my students is to treat college like an 8 to 5 job and put in the study time during the day. For many students the lack of structure and the temptation to do something non productive between classes is a real killer. You waste a lot of time and intend to study later but it never happens or it happens late at night when you are well past your peak and where less information makes it into long term memory.

Never skip class. Ever. You can't make up information missed in a lecture and regular attendence lets you process the information bewteen sessions in smaller bites.

There is what amounts to a reflex response with your brain when you are on your feet. Walking can help thinking so walking and thinking/processing what you learned that day can help you make the connections between items that you learned. The creation of internal conversations about the subject while you walk has the same effect as tutoring someone else but without the stress or the inefficiency of having to focus on what they are stuck on.

It's the formation of those connections between even widely different disciplines that will enable you to retain and apply what you are learning.

Form relationships with faculty and staff at the university. It provides an opportunity to discuss and process what you have learned and it allows the opportunity for better academic advising and provision of helpful hints along the way. And while I don't have research to support it, and not many profs will admit it, essay grades tend to be better when the prof already knows you know the material - you get the benefit of the doubt in situations where you other wise wouldn't.

Ask questions in class. I have noted that many students today seem hesitant to ask questions and that many regard questioning as impolite. If you don't don't agree with something, bring it up or ask for clarification. College should be all about originial thinking and we need to put original thought back into many classrooms. Some profs with inflated egos based solely on their Ph.D may not repond well to being challenged but you will sort them out in short order and in the process will learn which profs to avoid in future courses.

Learn to read differently. You have a lot of material to cover and it helps to be able to identify what is or is not inmportant in the text and then highlight that information for review later. Test reviews then consist of reviewing your notes in class and your highlighted text.

Many text books have on line study guides available. Check for websites and use them if available as they can really help. Many have pre-tests, practice tests, etc and more than one prof has been known to pull questons from them for their tests.

Many students who were very good in high school and achieved A's and B's are often among the most challenged in college as high school came easy to them and they lack the discipline and study skills that their B and C student counterparts had to develop to survive high school.

Plus you need to remember that the average intellect is a bit higher in college so the standards are higher. It's roughly the academic equivalent of Mr. Star High School Jock going to College and finding he is a very average second stringer because everyone was Mr. Star High School Jock. So in college academics like college athletics, if you are going to stay and improve, you are going to have to work at it, as natural ability is seldom enough.

 

[Avic7]

The prof talks at normal speed, but he throws out extra info during lecture that not on his notes. That means I am not getting all the info, and that causes me to feel anxious at times.Another thing that I want to improve is taking notes in class. Anyone have some useful suggestions?

 

[Diver0001]

The prof talks at normal speed, but he throws out extra info during lecture that not on his notes. That means I am not getting all the info, and that causes me to feel anxious at times.Another thing that I want to improve is taking notes in class. Anyone have some useful suggestions?

Video tape or tape record the lectures if you can and ask the prof for photo-copies of his/her overheads. Often times they're made available but you might not know where to look. Over time I also developed a sort of short hand for taking notes that I still use today.

Secondly, read the book before the lecture. Get organized so when you get in the lecture it isn't the first but the *second* time you hear the information (means reading the book the day before -- see previous post). That way you know what's already in the book and you don't need to write down stuff that's in the book.

Finally, the most important thing about taking notes (at least for me) was to learn to *listen* to what was being said and to write down my questions instead of scribbling down every word the prof said like a crazy man. Writing everything down is the best way I know to avoid hearing any of it, which translates directly into extra study time....

R..

P.S. I hope I'm not coming across as some sort of super student because I wasn't. I was lazy and being highly organized was just my way of spending the least possible amount of time studying for the grades I wanted to get.

 

[Ana]

There is some good stuff already mentioned above.

Never skip class. Ever.

Form relationships with faculty and staff at the university.

And while I don't have research to support it, and not many profs will admit it, essay grades tend to be better when the prof already knows you know the material - you get the benefit of the doubt in situations where you other wise wouldn't.

Ask questions in class. I have noted that many students today seem hesitant to ask questions and that many regard questioning as impolite. If you don't don't agree with something, bring it up or ask for clarification.

Those are some of the things I'm experiencing now that DO WORK. At least for old farts like me they work.
Granted some of the instructors are younger than me so there is no room for intimidation, but the old PhD's have to endure my questions the same.

Study groups are good but not enough. You need to study before getting with them and after.

There is also another important thing, and that is learning. I managed to learn the game of the grades. Almost learned it too good, to the point that now (finishing junior year) I wonder if I'm actually learning the stuff I'm studying or just learning to do what each instructor wants for the A's.
One comment above refered to knowing how your instructor thinks, well it isn't hard at all to do that, you ask what they want and they tell you. Sounds obvious, doesn't it? well ....have you ask your instructor what he/she wants for this coming test? did you understand the answer? if you didn't, did you admit you don't get it? This is no time for appearances, if you don't get it you HAVE TO ASK.
The only time a instructor is allowed to get sick of you is if you ask how to solve logs when the class is about double integrals. For that even your classmates should be allow to smack you. I don't know about your particular case, but just know the stuff below your grade level and ask away on the new material

You are buying a service from your instructors. Do your part but also get the service you are paying for.