There are two major differences between college and high school (and many smaller ones!) that students, especially freshmen, need to keep in mind.
The first is exactly who is responsible for your learning. In high school your teachers taught in class and planned activities to help you learn. In college, the professors are experts in their fields and are sharing their knowledge with you. While they often plan class activities that help students learn, for the most part the learning is your responsibility and happens outside of class. In future blogs we will detail exactly what you can do when you are in your room or the library to make this learning happen.
The second major difference is time management. In high school every day was basically the same and your time was organized for you. Now each day may have a different schedule and there is no one around telling you when to get up, when to study, when to eat, and when to go to bed. Not to mention finding time to get your laundry done! There are several tools you can use in order to keep everything straight and get everything done:
• Get a monthly calendar and write down major exam dates and due dates for papers and projects – do this at the start of each new semester.
• Also at the beginning of each semester, sketch out your weekly schedule including classes and any regular weekly appointment such as meetings or work. You can then see the week as a whole and decide when you have time to study, eat, exercise and do that laundry.
• Use a weekly planner to keep track of the appointments and things you need to do each week.
• Make a daily to-do list to prioritize and detail what you need to accomplish each day
These tools will help you manage your time so that you have time for both fun and studying. Be sure to start to use them at the beginning of the semester and get in the habit of doing so. You will find that you feel much more organized, less stressed and are not missing assignments or rushing at the last minute to finish things.
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