Thursday Thirteen: Oh, The Places You'll Study!

Scroll down for 13 quotes from the second book in my giveaway trio, How To Get A's In College.

Remember Artypants, my college freshniece?  She's getting moving to New York at the end of the summer to attend the Pratt Art Institute in Brooklyn (school motto: "If You Squint You Might Think It's New York").  Well, this book she doesn't need, since she's brilliant and has study habits way superior to anything I ever had.  I didn't develop any kind of study habits until I went to law school and that was only because I was scared into hoping that if I continually forcefed the information my brain would eventually become the law student version of pate de fois gras.  Did it work?  Meh.

I particularly appreciate the hint to type up class notes at the end of the day; yes, it's colossally nerdy but it's also a nearly foolproof way to help the material sink in and that's the main goal, isn't it?

Tune in next week for my review of HOH's related book about how to survive the real world.

The Difference: You're Not In High School Anymore
"I thought I was the cream of the crop in high school, but when I got to my first college class I realized how average I was."

Course Smarts: Choosing And Registering For Classes
"Students' reviews [of professors] are great as background, but take them with a grain of salt.  If you see a general trend that the professor's a hard grader or never available to students, it's probably true."

The Printed Word: Buying Books & The College Bookstore
"Find out the ISBN numbers of the required books and go to allbookstores.com.  They'll send you price quotes from 20 online booksellers."

Class Time: Lectures, Discussions & Taking Notes
"There was  a girl in my freshman chemistry class whom I had the biggest crush on. Chemistry was probably my worst subject, but when I found out she needed help in the class I really pushed myself to learn it so I could offer to help her.  I never got up the courage to approach her, but I did get an A in the class."

Get Set: Preparing For Class & Managing Your Time
"I took class notes by hand and that same night I typed them up into a word document.  That reinforcement helped the information sink in."

A Sense Of Place: Where To Study & What To Eat
"Finding the perfect place to study could make or break your semester.  Try unconventional places where there won't be a lot of students ... I've studied in stairwells, the stands of the basketball court, and parks.  I often sneaked into classrooms after hours."

Going The Distance: Tips On Writing A Good Paper
"The best way to write a good paper is to humble yourself.  Go to the writing center on campus and get a second set of eyes to read your paper."

You're Up: Studying For & Taking Exams
"I forgot there was a back to my study guide.  Therefore there was an entire page of 30 terms that I didn't study."

Brainbusting: On Cramming & All-Nighters
"Power naps are key, for all-nighters and for life.  The naps have to be short; you cannot let your brain get into the deep-sleep mode because then you will feel exhausted rather than rested and revived."

Zoom In : Choosing A Major
"A lot of students confuse higher education with job training.  You major in something that interests you; something you enjoy.  Almost any major will give you the same end result in terms of career."

One To One: Relationships With Your Professors
"I've found out that no matter how crazy the professor may seem, asking for help if I'm confused is always better than pretending to know in class and then asking others."

Making The Grade (Or Not): Failure, Stress & Coping
"In my senior year, every Friday a group of us would find very cheap tickets to a symphony or opera.  It was nice to know that at the end of the week, you can relax, even sleep."

Through The Lean Times: Support Services & Staying Motivated
"Use tutors for more than just raising your GPA. I go to a Spanish tutor not to help me make a better grade, but to improve my Spanish-speaking skills."

Do you want to win my treasured copy of How To Get A's In College?  Leave me a comment on this post giving the best piece of advice you'd give a new college freshman. I'll draw one name at random on July 24th.

Visit FeeFiFoto to design back-to-school and off-to-school gifts for high school and college graduates.

Comments

[Kim]

I always wanted to go to law school. But I never had the money or the marks for it. I'm so envious of you!

[DirtyLaundryDiva]

I don't need a copy of the book but I just wanted to say, what a flash from the past!

I hated being in school and really don't miss it one bit. Good luck new freshman...

[Nichole]

At the end of every school year, I vow that I am going to make some changes to the way I organize and study. It has yet to happen! I'm hoping that this year I will honestly take the suggestions I have compiled over the years and the first-hand experience I have had to heart and make a change in the way I organize and study...but we shall see!