Tips for College Students to Study Successfully

With all the rush of moving in, orientations, and back to school chaos, it is easy to forget why you are at college in the first place. No, not the hotties in the next wing over! You're there to study. Here are a few tips for fitting it in and getting it done so you can get back to the fun.

Schedule study time like you would any other planned activity. An old saying around school is that to get average grades, you need to study at least three hours outside of class per hour spent in class. Not everyone's ratio is the same, but regardless, the point is to schedule enough time in. Put it in your planner. Write what you will study and where. Make your daily study time part of your routine, and make sure it is a priority over the residence hall social scene.

If you are having trouble fitting it all in, then get up an hour earlier. This is definitely not what anyone wants to do, but rising earlier and studying will give you some quiet, focused time to study, and at the same time will jumpstart your day.

Get out of the dorm! There are always so many things going on in a dormitory that it gets hard to get any work done. There is the lure of your neighbors, the party down the hall, or even daytime television. The best way to avoid getting distracted is to get out. Head to the library or computer lab. Bring only the stuff you plan on studying or working on, and stay there for a set amount of (productive) time. That way when you get back to the dorm you can have some fun, without it distracting you from your studies.

Break large assignments down, and work on them well in advance of the due date. Be sure to book in adequate research time. Give yourself a deadline for having your rough draft finished. If your class is all based on the final exam, break the material down and study weekly for the whole term. That way you won't crack the text during finals week, and feel like you have never seen the material before.

Utilize the college writing programs and tutors. Most colleges offer a wide range of services to help you with papers and classes. Many have a writing center that will critique your paper for you. Start early on assignments so that you will have time to utilize these services. Ask faculty members and older students for advice on which programs will help you the most.

Study in groups, but only after studying on your own. Studying in groups is great if everyone at least has some sense of the material. On the other hand, showing up without already having studied will not do much for you and will definitely drag the rest of the group down. If everyone comes prepared, then the whole group will benefit. It may help to establish regular study groups in each class, in order to keep everyone on top of the work throughout the term.

While academics are not the best part of college, you are there to get a degree. Having an organized and scheduled plan of attack will help you streamline your studying, without so much last minute stress.