<p>don't get in a time crunch. in college, there is PLENTY of time to avoid crunches.</p>
<p>The expectation at my school is that you will spend a total of credit*4 hours per week on each class. So, for a 4 credit class that meets for 6 hours a week, you would be spending 10 out of class hours on that class every week. If the same class met 4 hours a week, you'd spend 12 out of class hours.</p>
<p>We generally have enough homework and projects that that rule holds true on average, although some classes go way over and some are a little under.</p>
<p>I graduated last year after returning to college for a career change( I'm a sudent as well as a mom) and I found that if you look over the notes you took in class in your spare time before the next class, make any notes about anything that is not clear and tell the professor you'd like to clarify your notes it helps. Plus he/she will feel good that you are listening in class and being conscientous about your material. Most humanities type classes will be lecture based, taking good notes and developing a repore w/ the professor, discussing topics related to class is great. they can put you on to a wealth of info that enhances the class material and will bring the whole subject to life, making it easier to know how to prepare for tests and essays. They love it when you participate in class too.</p>
<p>Instead of crunching, just pay attention in class, take good notes,participate and learn at a natural pace.</p>
<p>If you enjoy learning( and I hope you do since you will be in college for some time to come) you will be prepared at test time. Don't worry about stradegies...try to find a way for the material to be interesting in itself and you will learn.</p>
<p>Stick to a loose schedule that you can adjust as necessary.</p>
<p>If you have a paper due, then give it the 3 day rule: 1st draft, 2nd draft, final. And schedule this 3 days in advance. If you have a paper due in 2 weeks, never start it until 3 days before its due, most people do it the day before or the night before, unless the paper is worth >=50% of your final grade. Then work on it right away, maybe do a first draft then drop it until 1 week before its due. </p>
<p>Try to schedule a social, activity or school event everyday, but try never to do all 3 in the same day. One day have lunch with a friend at a restaurant. Go to a lecture on campus or a school organizational event. I tried to go to a different on-campus group event per week.</p>
<p>Remember to schedule alone time, no roomate atleast once a day.</p>
<p>Try to go to a non-traditional sporting event on campus or even away if its close and you can get to it.</p>
<p>Always get to know your departmental administrator or secretary!</p>
<p>If you know in advance who is teaching your course for the next semester, introduce yourself, just do a quickie. You might get a better insight into the class and the professor, if you get a bad vibe, try for another section and do it with the other intructor/professor.</p>
<p>luliztee, your previous post makes it sound like girls are in trouble at every party they go to. Not all guys take advantage of drunk girls, or try to get them drunk like you've so plainly put it. It's good to be prepared for all things, but don't be scared to go to a party because of things that could happen. Codephrases might be a little much, lol.</p>
<p>Don't smell bad. There is nothing that will make everyone run away from you like really bad B.O.</p>
<p>Also, just take it one thing at a time. Know how to prioritize, and then when your working on one thing, just concentrate on doing that one thing to the best of your ability. also, don't be afraid of asking for an extension. If you could get it done OK in the time alloted, but could really hit it out of the park with two extra days--ask--the worst they can say is no, and then just say thank you for your time, and do the best you can.</p>
<p>or the teacher can chastise you in a several minute tirade killing your self esteem, but you never know until you try!</p>
<p>It does depend on the teacher, and the way you ask. If you ask it in a very matter-of-fact, "just finding info" kind of way, I find the "hard-a$$" type teachers won't be mean about it. Obviously with any teacher you have to use judgement, but remember that it IS always an option. Especially if your a good student in all other respects, I find that most teachers will give you a day or two.</p>
<p>i didnt want to sift through all of this to see if someone already said it but something I wish I had been told before college:</p>
<p>OPTIONAL WORK IS NOT OPTIONAL</p>
<p>While it may never be collected, optional work should be approached as assigned work (especially in classes with minimal assignments) because doing work for a class on a regular basis is the best way to actually learn the material.</p>
<p>drink and smoke before go to classes</p>
<p>
[quote]
herecomesthesun writes: I want to enjoy the social aspect of college but I don't want to mess up academically. I have heard that you should study at least one hour for every hour you spend in class each week, but that two is best. So for example if I have a 3 hour biology class, I should study for 3-6 hours outside of class. That sounds really hard to me! I can't sit and do one thing for a long time.
[/quote]
Actually you should study 1-3 hours for each class hour. It's probably on the lower end for liberal-arts type classes such as history, on the higher end for science & math classes. Although the overall hours can balance out in liberal-arts classes because you will spend hours working on papers that you don't have in the math/science classes.</p>
<p>My advice is this: college is your full-time job and you should treat it like that. If your class meets for an hour 3x a week you can spend about 2 hours each day studying for it and get the high end of the ratio, maybe even less if you're good at it. If you want to keep your scholarship, it's amazing how quickly the motivation will develop.</p>
<p>Mike, I like your full-time job theory. A new perspective.</p>
<p>
[quote]
you will spend hours working on papers that you don't have in the math/science classes.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Most of my math and science classes have papers, in addition to problem sets and labs and experiments and exams.</p>
<p>Wait, we should study 1-3 hours for each class hour on the days we have the class? Or every day?</p>
<p>I took five APs last year and rarely did three hours of work each night for all my classes combined, much less for each class individually. The idea of doing two to three hours of work for each class, each day is a little mind-boggling... especially because I'm currently signed up for 21 hours. That would, uh, probably be MY biggest mistake freshman year, yeah?</p>
<p>uhhh 21 hours is a LOT. 16 is the standard load for non-freshmen. You should give yourself a bit of breathing room to adjust to college. Just concentrate on doing well in each class. grad schools would rather see a 4.0 done in 4 years than a 3.5 done in 3. . .</p>
<p>
[quote]
dinnie -
1. Is it really important in American colleges to have a good rapport with your college professors? If yes, how does it help you improve your grades?
2. Is it really important to befriend seniors?
3. Do you guys have to face ragging upon entering into a college in the US?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>1) Yes. Interacting with your professors is always good. They're the go-to for guidance; if you approach them for help often, they will know that you are trying really hard in class and you get the benefit of the doubt when grading time comes. A strict professor who doesn't round up percentages, for example, sums up your grade as a 79.92% but because you've communicated with her all year, she might bump that up to an 80%. If you're planning to go for your Master's, then recommendation letters won't be a hassle for you because you're connected to people who can write a credible letter to vouch for you.</p>
<p>2) Befriending seniors is not important in my school, at least.</p>
<p>3) Ragging? Some people are just jerks, but people are friendly and welcoming more often than not.</p>
<p>lanie22 - You cannot compare the workload that comes with AP classes with the workload that comes with college classes. You really just can't. That's one common mistake incoming freshmen make - heck, it was one I made. High school students are in awe when they hear college students with only 3 classes MWF and maybe 2 TR (Tuesday & Thursday, I don't know why my univ. uses that code), but what they don't realize until they get to college is that a lot of those classes have heavy coursework. Many high schools tend to be institutions with massive grade inflations. And I agree with equine99: 21 hours is a lot, if not excessive. If you know yourself so well that you are absolutely sure you can do it, then good for you. My 17 hours in Fall 2005 drove me to the wall. You do need breathing room because you need time to absorb and digest your information from other classes. It's completely okay to drop a class or two.</p>
<p>"drink and smoke before go to classes"</p>
<p>... profs hate it for some reason when one does this ... something about not taking their class seriously ...</p>
<p>I haven't read this whole thread but here's another point: try not to let your thinking brain cells die covered with ethanol and tetrahydrocannabinol over the summer break. If you're not taking any classes and only working or hanging out, it is a good idea to spend a little bit of time studying. Keep you memory and reading skills sharp. You can repeat information you already covered or study in advance for a hard class that is coming up in fall. Same goes for winter holidays. It is good to repeat stuff especially if you aim for post-bachelor's education.</p>
<p>Yes, be prepared for papers in science courses. I am writing one right now for a summer bio course. Sometimes a science paper will be a lab write up, but I've found them to be just as strenuous as regular papers if not moreso, since you have to be precise in science. And you still have spelling and grammar to look at, so if you aren't a good nitpicker, find someone who is to look your paper over.</p>
<p>Along that line, avoid working on a paper alone. I have a friend who reads my stuff and I read his. We both like to write, so we're always making comments/suggestions on each others papers--for style, clarity, grammar, etc. We also write a lot of novels, short stories, and poetry in our spare time so we're used to nitpicking.</p>
<p>And another thing about papers--write them two days in advance, not one. If you leave it sit for a day, you'll probably find your mistakes easier by looking at it. Combine that with someone else's input and you'll be able to ace your papers.</p>
<p>The posts I've liked so far have been from Taxguy(good name), Ilikeoranges, Luliztee, and Ericatbucknell. I like them because they have solid advice. So solid that I've printed them out and gone over hi-lighting important points. Habits die hard. </p>
<p>Taxguy: I really admire your letter to your D. You give very good, balanced advice. Particularly the call home paragraph. Your D is lucky to have such an informed father.</p>
<p>I'm interested in what you mean by your definition of "outline your textbooks and not just underline important information." I personally hi-lite with 4 different colors in my text books to memorize information. Going over the text several times, weighing the weight of the words (how important the statement is) to use the right color for them. I learn as well as prepare for the future. During finals or in the next class, when I need to review I can just look back at the book, understand my thought process, and I'm done. </p>
<p>To me outlining does not have that advantage of helping in the future. It makes people view the information they learned as "Ch 5 is __" and not part of their collective knowledge. </p>
<p>I am not criticizing the method. I do understand that some people learn with their eyes and some with their hands. I want to see how the two techniques can aid each other and improve learning.</p>
<p>Ilikeoranges: First, good job with honors courses. Seems you had a very good year.
Improving on point 14: "If he can get an A so can I get an A." I like to think of it on a larger scale. If the professor can master the subject, and tens of thousands of other people can learn it. Why can't I? </p>
<p>Luliztee: Thank you for the tips on bluffing your way though a drinking party. Your code phrases idea is very neat. I can see it would be silly not to have it. It will definately prevent a disaster from happening.</p>
<p>Eric: Very interesting practical advice. Particularly the wire/mesh trash can. I hope that wasn't too bad of a cleanup. </p>
<hr>
<p>Now my own.</p>
<p>1) Plan your semesters before you go. It is tough to learn a new system quickly, but if you don't plan what your going to take your first semester. That first semester may delay your graduation if you don't know what your doing. It's so important to get use to college life, if you have no prior experience, I even would venture to say take an easy first semester. 9-14 units would equal about 2-3 classes. That should be 1 or 2, 5 unit "hard" classes and 1 or 2, 1-4 unit "easier" classes. Taking 3, 4-5 unit classes would be a normal load, right around 15 units +1 -3(being easy). 17-21 is rangeing from bumpy to hell to suicide. People can do it but they pass with C's. Do yourself a favor and plan early. Don't flunk out the first semester with 18 units right off the bat. Get use to the system first, then be wild and take your 18 units.</p>
<p>2) Try and find out what book your class will use for the semester. My CCC is into "custom edition" crap books that are normal books split in half for section of class. Say Calculus is A,B and C. You buy 3 diffrent books for each class that was once one big book. It's cost effective if you just need to take one of the classes. It's a plain rip off when you need to take all three classes. Always try and buy the books online and get it to you ASAP to study and make sure it is the same book. This is what's good about talking to older students is that they may give you advice as to what book to buy and not get ripped off. Note: If your class has 'clickers' or online homework. Might want to pick those up at the bookstore instead of online. Then your certain that it will work for your class. Nothing would be worse than getting a bad grade because you bought the wrong thing to save money.</p>
<p>3) AP classes difficulties vary between high schools. They are not a good indicator weither you will do well in an actual college course. Do yourself a favor and take/sit in/audit/pass-fail a class at a comminity college or at the college you go to during the summer. If you do take a class it will be just one (1) so you can learn how to focus all your attention to one subject. A piece of advice that was given to me this summer was from a math major. "I like to take hard classes during the summer because your just taking that one class and you can focus all your attention to JUST that class and do well in it. It's condensed so I won't forget anything and its over quickly." That was an interesting insight on taking summer courses. They also help off-set you from the impacted beginning courses. Every freshman want in on Calc1A but you've already taken it during the summer. Your free to pass to Calc1B.</p>
<p>4) Keep a watch on you. Phone doesn't count. Do the watch. The watch will help you with your time management. It help keep you on your toes that you have just so many hours left of studying. It's good to look at the watch and say, "Wow I've been studying for 4 hours straight and there's 2 hours until I need to go to sleep. I'll treat myself to dinner then sleep." It is not good to look at the watch and say, "It is exactly 12 I must eat." Learn to ignore things that will throw you off your studying pace. When you study you have a certain rythem. If you break that rythem, it's really really hard to get it back.</p>
<p>5) Find your favorite study areas QUICK! Choose your study spots wisely and prepare adequately. Semesters/quarters fly by quickly. If you can't study well you are going to be in trouble. It took me a semester or two to really find good spots to study. Don't go to a place that's totally vacant and secluded. You risk being trapped by someone who wants money, valuables (books do count had one stolen), rape. Even in populated areas rapes can happen. A rape occured at my CCC in the library bathroom. </p>
<p>When I say prepare adequately I mean prepare for your long hours of studying. Carry snacks/food and a hiking bottle of water. If you intend on studying 12 hours straight your going to need both. I highly advocate for one of those cheap $3-5 hard polycarbonate for water or whatever drink mix you may please. If it stains get those false teeth cleaner tablets. Tea/coffee stains come right off. Food can range from leftovers (in ziplock containers) that can be heated at the caffeteria microwave, to trail mix and granola bars.</p>
<p>Don't have enough room? Might want to consider a hiking backpack. Think about it, you're carrying about 30 lb. of book weight all over campus. Get a good backpack so you won't waste time running back and foward getting your books. If you tire of one subject you can easily swap to the next. Less time wasted means more time studying means greater chance of doing well in class. </p>
<p>Also it speaks to the parents logic of getting eggcrate matresses for the bed. The parents may have thought of a good place to sleep. But what if the S/D can't sleep because of a back ache due to a cheap backpack? I went with a $100 Jansport day hiking backpack. It was the best backpack that rated well on the internet, had good padding, wasn't excessive in hiking straps/buckles/etc, HAS TWO ELASTIC MESH WATER BOTTLE HOLDERS (very important to have). Been very happy with it.</p>
<p>Have fun digesting all of this information.</p>