One of the biggest changes a person undergoes is the transition from high school to college. Not only do academics get more difficult, but the whole atmosphere shifts into a brand-new world. With more organizations to be a part of, more free time, and living on one’s own for the first time, altering how one approaches their workload needs drastic adjustment. The days of trying to cram information the night before a test are over, and studying for days is the new normal. It is no news to anyone that one’s study habits will alter during the transition from high school to college in order to be successful.
For example, making good grades in high school came fairly easy to me, despite being involved with my high school’s drill team, key club, and National Honor Society. My extracurricular activities took up most of the time I should have dedicated to studying and doing homework, yet I was still able to manage to make A honor roll and graduate in the top 6% of my class. High school came pretty easy to me, and I was usually able to skim over my notes right before a test and still manage to make an A or finish up homework right before the bell rang. Teachers were also much more lenient with due dates in high school. I could turn in homework two days late and receive full credit. Due to not having to work hard for my grades, I, as well as most of my classmates, never developed good study habits.
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Moving to college was a real wake-up call for me in terms of exactly how much time I would have to dedicate to studying and doing homework. I had to take skimming through my notes hours before a test and transform that into making my own diagrams, flashcards, and other types of study aid in order to be successful in these collegiate-level classes. One tactic I found useful in college, but not high school, was creating study groups with people who were in multiple of my classes. Not only were they my study buddies, but they soon became some of my best friends in college. Being in a study group creates an atmosphere of being held accountable to finish schoolwork. The most rewarding feeling in college is receiving that “A” on a project or test that you dedicated hours upon hours working on/studying for, a feeling of accomplishment I never got to experience in high school.
Although my study habits changed from high school to college, one aspect never did, and that was my organizational skills. Growing up, I was always the kid with tens of colored pencils and markers to make my notes more interesting, and as I grew up, I realized that color-coding my notes actually aided in memorizing information. Color coding is a tactic used to organize the information in your notes. They allow you to review the most important information, and the use of bright colors captures one’s attention. Another tool I have always used is an academic planner. My academic planner allows me to keep track of due dates, test dates, and any other important dates for school all in one place. Any time a date is posted on the board, I immediately turn to my planner and jot it down so I have no excuses for turning work in late. Whether it be in high school or college, whenever I receive a grade I was striving for, I always treat myself to show that hard work pays off. I believe rewarding good behavior is a must in this world.
One goes through many changes during the transition to college; However, their study habits are what undergoes the most modification. As we get older, we now have to spend more time focusing on classes and using those classes to decide what we want our future profession to be. In college, we are able to explore interests and take major-related classes, and they are something we are essentially interested in, whereas, in high school, we were required to attend certain classes that often seemed dreadful. As we grow older, our environment shifts and our study habits will always change. Figuring out how to study is a matter of finding out what the best fit is for you.