<p>I was one of those kids that always did really well in school without having to try hard or study. In fact, I've seriously never ever studied for a test in my life.</p>
<p>But then again, I was never all that motivated in high school. I'm pretty motivated towards college, since I have aspirations to transfer, etc.</p>
<p>What advice would you give? Are a lot of people like this and then their skills improve in college? I want to be successful for sure, and I honestly don't party or anything much and doubt I'll develop any habits in college.</p>
<p>You're obviously smart, and since you won't be preoccupied by bad habits, I bet you'll figure out how college works, and adapt to it. It's very different from high school. Your grade isn't spread out as much through so many tests/quizzes/assignments. Some classes are based on two or three tests, that's it! Others will have more assignments than others, but not very close to high school classes. </p>
<p>Just figure out your study habits. No matter how little you studied in high school, you will have to study in college. I know lots of people who breezed through AP classes, and came to ASU thinking that because its known for grade inflation and easy classes, they'd breeze here as well. Then they get their first C's...even D's. </p>
<p>Use your first semester to learn what type of studier/worker you are. Do you need to take breaks often? Do you need to have music on? Do you need absolute silence? Do you need to go to another place, ie a library? etc...Take what you learn, and apply it after that point, and it will get easier to schedule your school vs. EC's. I have never been more busier than while in college, with school, clubs, activities, friends, conferences/competitions, jobs, etc. I love every minute of it though, and you will too, if you just balance it all, and have a positive outlook. </p>
<p>I went into college knowing exactly who I wanted to become, and while here, my aspirations completely changed, and are still changing! The classes you will take, the people you will meet, and the things you will experience will hopefully help you decide who you are, and who you want to be. So don't ignore it, or fight it...embrace it!</p>
<p>Many college courses aren't designed to bring you success through lecture-retention or class-time alone, therefore demanding more extracurricular informational studies. Prepare yourself fully for an environment that will many a times put more emphasis on your responsibilities and expect necessary hours from your days. I've small doubt that if you're at least as intent as you claim, you'll find success.</p>
<p>Learn to study for tests! I thought I would breeze thru my first chemistry test so I didn't study--instead I did bad on it and it ended up killing my chance of getting an A in the class. Every test is important.</p>
<p>A big problem is that many students say "oh I took this class in HS and did really good, so it should be easy". Those can be the classes that surprise you and you end up not doing to great in. No matter how much you think you know about it, still pay attention and take notes and study it. Those "simple things I already know" are what kills my grade.</p>
<p>I think that why a lot of places say your dorm is bad to study in is because of all the distractions. Some people study in empty classrooms. Others find a less traveled hall on the way to their next class and just sit there. Others sit in the study lounges while others choose the library. I went to a commuter campus, and I often studied in my car before class started. Try different places and see which one works best for you.</p>
<p>Here's another question which maybe someone could shed light on. Do people usually bring their laptops to classes and take notes, or do most people take notes with pencil and paper?</p>
<p>I have a feeling someone's about to say "well see which works better for you," but I'm just wondering what most people do.</p>
<p>i can remember things a lot more easily if i write them by hand, but also i very rarely read back over notes i take in class. i like to review the textbook instead. i suppose if you study your notes, it might be more efficient to type things out. i'd say it's a pretty even split between people who take notes electronically and people who do it by hand.</p>
<p>also, i never really studied in high school either, so it was a little bit of a challenge at first to find out what worked for me to prepare for tests when i got to college. you'll pretty much definitely have to study..college is different than HS in that respect.</p>
<p>Not a lot of people take notes on laptops. There is a thread talking about whether notes should be typed or written by hand if you do a search you can find it. I find that there are too many other things to do on laptops, so I rather hand write them. Sometimes (but not often) I do type them out afterwards.</p>
<p>You already know the answer to your question: See what works for you. We can give you ideas of what to do, but you have to find the one that fits you best.</p>
<p>I don't understand why people think that not partying will guarantee success. I know some really smart, hardworking people who like to go out on weekends. Just because you don't spend those extra few hours studying doesn't mean you're going to fail your classes.</p>
<p>Besides, just because you don't party at night doesn't mean you're not doing other social activities, right? Do you seriously think that drinking once in a while is going to rot your brain or make you unmotivated?</p>
<p>But to answer your question, I think a lot of people go into college not realizing what kind of effort is needed for the courses. If you learn good study habits early (like in the first week, semesters go by fast) you can do well. But remember you can't slack off-unlike in high school, you need to put in consistent energy, and study your butt off for tests (better to waste a couple hours studying more than needed than to get a D that counts for twenty percent of your final grade).</p>
<p>And definitely use paper and pencil (especially if you're a math/science major!). Not many people use laptops to take notes. Chances are if you see someone using one they're working on something for another class or goofing around.</p>
<p>Did anyone say that partying won't guarantee success? I never saw that...I only saw, that letting it get out of control would be a problem...or at least that's how I took it. </p>
<p>I did my fair share of risque weekend activities, and still pulled off a 4.0. Just don't let it get too far, which can happen...and does happen...often...especially at a school like mine. </p>
<p>BTW, I only used my laptop when we had in-class review days for a few classes, so I could type my study guide right there.</p>
<p>"I don't understand why people think that not partying will guarantee success. I know some really smart, hardworking people who like to go out on weekends. Just because you don't spend those extra few hours studying doesn't mean you're going to fail your classes.</p>
<p>Besides, just because you don't party at night doesn't mean you're not doing other social activities, right? Do you seriously think that drinking once in a while is going to rot your brain or make you unmotivated?"</p>
<p>Whoa don't misread me there, I wasn't saying this at all. All I said was I've never been the type to party. I don't doubt that I will a little bit in college, I'm just saying I doubt it will interfere with anything else.</p>
<p>Just because you did well in high school doesn't guarantee success in college at the least. There are many factors to consider here. First off, maybe you did well in high school b/c you took easy classes or maybe your high school isn't that great. To get a better gauge for how well you would do in college, I would ask what you got on the SAT and ACT and how much you studied for them. Also, I agree that just because you don't party doesn't mean you'll get good grades. There are lots of things that could make you do bad in college. Also, it depends what your major is. If you're a psychology major (no pun intended), you'll probably have an easier type than if you're an engineer. However, also be aware that tests are a lot harder in college and you definitely won't be getting 90%+ all the time. If this were true, why would colleges have curves? Also, what school are you going to? But yeah, hard to tell right now without more information.</p>
<p>Well, I wasn't really looking for an analysis of my abilities. I was just looking for advice on gaining good study habits as well of stories from people who had gone from bad at studying, to good at studying.</p>
<p>I got a 1900 on the SAT's, I didn't study. And I'm going to UCR.</p>
<p>Start with the assumption that for every one hour in class you should be studying for two hours outside of class. What you'll actually need will depend on a lot of things and you'll modify how much time you spend as the course goes on, but you're better off not starting by seeing how little you can get away with.</p>
<p>Realize that not everything that's important will be in the books, and not everything that's important will be covered in the lectures. This will get more pronounced as you progress, but you'll need both in almost every case.</p>
<p>Keep a record of how much time you spend studying. Actually studying, not sitting in the library randomly Googling things with your textbooks open. A lot of people (I'm one of them) sometimes overestimate how much actual studying is happening between the time they open their books and the time they close them. Set yourself up for success by not trying to study in places where there are a lot of things that are distrcting to you. If you can focus while listening to music or while other people are coming through the area where you are working, that's fine; but if you can't, then don't do those things. The more disciplined you are about focusing on your schoolwork during the times you are studying, the more time you will have to do other things.</p>
<p>Try to use pockets of time during the day. If you have classes from 9 to 10 and from 11 to 12, spend the time from 10 to 11 either studying (it's a great time to go over the lecture you just sat through) or doing something else important (like eating something if you're also in class from 12 to 1 and 1 to 2).</p>
<p>Try to figure things out for yourself as much as possible (it's an important skill to develop) but ask for help (in class, in discussions section, in office hours, or in a private appointment if you can't make office hours) as soon as you realize you need it.</p>
<p>Start major assignments as early as possible and create (and stick to) deadlines for each piece of the task. You'll learn more and be less stressed if you're not trying to write 3 term papers in 4 days.</p>
<p>If you need to reward yourself for doing your work, that's fine. But make sure you're picking rewards that you actually want and that you aren't giving yourself for any other reason.</p>
<p>I think that if you just go to lectures and pay attention and take good notes and prob study the day b4 an exam, you can prob do well in college. I didn't do that great in high school, got about the same SAT score as you and did very well in college b/c I took good notes. people always say you should study 2 hrs out of class for every hr in class. I found out that didn't work for me and just taking good notes and studying them b4 an exam was more effective. however, i made sure that i understood the material. you should be fine unless you're in one of the killer majors like engineering or pharmacy. but if you NEVER study for a test, not sure how well you'll do. cramming should be fine.</p>
<p>actually what the OP says is fairly common for kids at many state schools, including the top ones. They got good grades in HS without much effort or interest in the material. But they get to college and all of a sudden all the other kids are the ones that were doing well in HS, so the pace can/does step up. I'd echo the advice about 2 hours outside of class for the hour in class; how you spend the time will differ depending on the subject, but I'd say err on the side of caution and start by putting in the time. You can always trim back if its overkill, but one thing that's almost impossible is to catch up when you've fallen behind.</p>
<p>There's a book I recommend to all college students called "What Smart Students Know". It is written by one of the co-founders of the Princeton Review prep service, and explains how to prepare for and study different subjects. Really a great explanation of how to use your time effectively, take notes, etc. This is exactly what the OP has asked for.</p>