Olivia: College Tips and Tricks

I have one (!!!!!) quarter left at Northwestern, so now seems as good a time as any to share my school tips! Northwestern is on the quarter system, so we just started our spring quarter. It's back to school for me, again! These tips will be useful regardless of what year of school you're in, even if that's high school. It can be especially hard to hit the books once spring hits, so dive into these tips!

1. Go to office hours.

My first three years of college, I hardly went to office hours. Honestly, it was only if I really, really, really had to. But during my senior year, I go all the time. Have a paper due? Go meet with your professor. Exam coming up? Go meet with your professor. Confused about a reading? Go meet with your professor. Not only is it helpful to get clarification directly from the source in a less public setting (hello classes...), but it lets the professor get to know YOU much better, which will hopefully lead to better feedback/more attention in class, which will hopefully lead to better grades. 

2. Read strategically. 

You're probably thinking: "Oh, great, she's going to tell me how to be an 'effective reader' with reading strategies." You're wrong! Actually, I'm here to tell you that you don't need to read every single assignment with the same depth. Let's say you have three reading assignments for your next class. Pick one and read it thoroughly: take notes, highlight, add questions in the margins, etc. Those other two readings? If you can skim each reading, great. If not, read the last paragraph of each. BOOM. Now when you're in class, you can contribute to discussions about the one you read thoroughly, and also won't feel completely out of the dark for the rest of class!

3. Check your syllabus again, and again, and again, and again...

Do you only look at your syllabus on the first day of class? Well, you're likely going to miss assignments or do them incorrectly. Syllabi are jam packed with all sorts of information. So go over each one on a weekly basis. This will ensure you don't miss any assignments or quizzes!

4. Find a note taking system that works for you.

Seriously. If you ask around, everyone takes notes a little differently. Whether you use your laptop, a tablet, pen and paper, highlighters, post its, etc., as long as it works for you, keep at it! Personally, I like to use pen and paper. I find I'm more likely to remember things if I write them down. I also like to use highlighters when I'm working on class assignments. And I'm definitely big on color coding...but more on that another time! 

5. Take a break!

{Run away with us for the summer. Let's go upstate!}

Taking breaks is extremely beneficial for mental health. Whether that means you work in 25 minute chunks before taking a 5 minute break (the Pomodoro method), or working hard on a task until completed before taking a longer break, or whatever system works for you, make sure you take breaks. And once on your break, make sure to stretch your legs, drink some water, and relax! I like to use that time to dance to Beyoncé, check my Instagram, and refill my water bottle. Do whatever works for you! Also, naps totally count as breaks. =)

Questions? Suggestions? Comment below!

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