The transition from school to college is an exciting yet daunting adventure for most students. The excitement stems from a wonderful opportunity to make new friends and to explore interesting subjects in a stimulating environment. But this freedom comes at a price. Specifically, you will have to take personal responsibility for the way in which you choose to spend your time in college. For example, its up to you whether or not you go to the library or to the students' bar. Also, it's your business, not that of your lecturers, to make sure that you don't fall behind in class. Therefore, if you don't want your free time to become wasted time, you will have to master a number of skills in College which were not taught in school.
In particular, you must learn to listen and write at the same time while taking lecture notes; to "get down" to study regardless of the mood you're in; to divide your time effectively between the different topics on your course, and, above all, to think critically about what you hear and read about your subject. No amount of intelligence will compensate for the absence of these skills in college. So, your biggest challenge in the year ahead is to manage your own learning effectively - to become an active, self-motivated and independent thinker rather than a mindless sponge soaking up other people's thoughts.
To help you in this task, here are some practical tips on getting the most out of your first year in college.
1. Taking lecture notes effectively
From your very first day in the College, you must learn to take lecture notes effectively - a skill which involves switching your concentration rapidly between listening and writing. The best way to do this is to become a "prospector" rather than a "sponge" in class.
Research shows that good note-takers anticipate the lecture (e.g. "What is today's topic? Is it new to me? If not, what can I remember about it?") and then listen carefully for its key ideas ("nuggets of gold") rather than trying to write down every word uttered by the presenter. Organise every lecture in your mind by imposing a beginning (the purpose), middle (the details) and end (the conclusion) to it.
Also see if you can "think along" with the lecturer by attempting to guess what s/he is likely to say next. Be sure to write down the names of any books that are mentioned in class. And if you think you missed something important, don't be afraid to approach your lecturer after the presentation. At the very least, she/he will be flattered to discover that you're interested in their subject!
2. Try to study at the same time every day
Success in college depends on the strength and consistency of your study routine. Therefore, try to study at the same time and in the same place every day. This regularity will prevent you from waiting to be in the "right mood" to work. As the psychologist William James noted, it's easier to act your way into a feeling than to feel your way into action!
In other words, routines overcome our initial inertia. They also condition you to associate studying with a particular place and time and reduce the amount of time you would otherwise waste in "settling in" to different learning environments. Routines are vital to academic success.
3. Study regularly but briefly.
Develop the habit of studying in blocks of time which do not exceed your concentration span. In general, this means studying for two to three hours at a time and sub-dividing this period into three units of about 50 minutes each (followed by a five minute review period at the end the entire session). During this review, ask yourself: "How can I summarise what I learned in four to five lines?" The ability to condense what you have learned is a good test of your understanding of the material.
4. Keep you desk as tidy as possible
Most people prefer to work in tidy rather than cluttered environments. Therefore, try to keep your desk as a workplace not as a storage place. A neat environment will encourage you to return to your study regularly whereas an untidy mess will dissuade you from work.
5. Ask questions before you read
Studying involves more than reading. It involves reading with a purpose - to obtain specific answers to specific questions. For example, in chemistry, why does sodium form an anion whereas magnesium does not? Questioning promotes active learning in three main ways. First, it forces you to think carefully about what you are reading because you must distinguish between "relevant" and "irrelevant" information (on the basis of whether or not it helps to answer your specific study question).
Second, it improves memory - the more questions you ask the more you relate new information to what you already know. Finally, questioning increases concentration by focusing your mind on only one target at a time. Therefore, always specify two to three study questions before you open your books or notes.
6. Use summary sheets
As you read your material, make brief summaries of any information which seems relevant to your two to three study questions. This condensed information will help you to prepare easy essays and exam questions. Avoid such techniques as underlining and/or photocopying as they do not condense the material that you wish to learn. Remember that you are not actually thinking unless you are trying to distinguish between relevant and irrelevant material in your books/notes.
7. Reward yourself for what you do - not for what you avoid
If you lack motivation, give yourself a reward (eg watching your favourite TV programme) for successful completion of a study session. Research shows that activities which are followed by rewarding consequences tend to become rewarding in themselves. In other words, if you study for a reward, you will eventually learn to enjoy studying for its own sake.
8. Study SMARTer not harder
If you use timetables, make sure that your study goals are "SMART". Each letter of this acronym stands for a different feature of an effective goal. To explain, your goals should be specific ("I'm going to study chapter Seven of my history book tonight between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m."), measurable ("I'm going to write a 200 word summary of the chapter"), realistic ("one chapter at a time") and timetabled (e.g. two hours of private study for every lecture per hour per week).
9 Think critically
The ability to think for yourself requires both a sceptical attitude and a toolbox of incisive questions. You should use these questions before you read any textbook on your course. For example, what exactly is the theory that I'm being asked to believe here? Who/what is the source of that claim? What evidence, if any, is provided to support this theory or claim? How valid is such evidence? Are there any alternative explanations for the evidence provided? If so, how plausible are these rival explanations?
10. Don't be afraid to ask your lecturers for advice
The biggest mistake that new students make in college is to try to sort out their academic problems on their own. Remember that almost every department appoints a staff member to look after first year students. Your job is to find out who that person is and ask him/her for advice from time to time. Your lectures can help you only if you approach them with your questions during their office hours. And asking lecturers questions is a good way of showing that you are interested in improving your knowledge of the subject that they teach.
Professor Aidan Moran is head of the Department of Psychology in UCD and the author of Managing Your Own Learning at University: A Practical Guide and audiotape Learn to Concentrate
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