For those with an 85%+ average in university, what were your study habits like?

[savica]

I'm going to McMaster this September for Life Sciences, and just trying to get an idea of what it takes to do that well in university. I'd hate to be in final year wishing for a higher GPA, and rather do well since the beginning...

 

What's the hardest part of doing well? Just time, and dedication? How often do you get stuck on course work, or is it all pretty much straight forward with the reading, and lectures? Are you sometimes forced to use supplementary information to help with understanding? (additional textbooks, internet, etc...) & how many hours do you spend studying a day?

 

Sorry, this is all so new to me... And like I said, I'm just trying to get the big picture here...

[Laura_333]

Many of your questions are specific to the program you are doing. However, I would say generally to do well in University you need good time management. Know what assignments/tests are worth the most and spend more time on them. If you run out of time, put the leftover time studying for the test worth a higher percentage of your grade. I would say also try and get into good habits early, such as not leaving things to the last minute. Aim high for first year, because honestly you simply get less motivated as the years go by (or at least I did). Oh, and have fun because University isn't really all that hard if you have good time management. In terms of study skills, that is so individual how you prefer to study, and what will make you do well--you will just need to experiment!

[Kittyp]

I believe the main strategy to do well is to read before each class, don't skip any class and do revision after the class and if anything is not clear use office hours and discuss the topic one to one. Plan ahead for each approaching exam and don't skip any class to stress on the coming exam as the material being taught in the class has to be tested later. Try to clear all the concepts at the time the material is being taught in the class and the period before the exam should be just for revision and not making new concepts. And most important do keep some free time for relaxation. More you will learn when you go through the process.

[human instinct]

one of the things that helped me a lot was to sit down and make a schedule of all the exams/tests/papers/assignments/essays in the first week of classes every semester. This way you have all the dates and coinciding assignments in mind and will know when to start studying...

[RandomGirl]

Try to have a good and constant work schedule. For instance, if you have a two hour break between classes, make it a habit to work through the first hour and a half and then take a half-hour break before the next class. Making work and revision part of your routine helps boost grades.

 

People work more efficiently when there are no distractions (i.e. don't work while also chatting on MSN or going on Facebook). Make a solid distinction between work-time and break-time. It's easy for a two-hour task to turn into a five-hour one because you accidentally spent several hours on Youtube!! (I swear, those videos are addictive.)

 

Don't forget the power of sleep! Showing up to class exhausted will work against you. You will retain less information and your notes will make less sense to you when you go back to read them. I can't stress enough the helpfulness of being well-rested. (And of course, exercising helps boost energy levels.)

[future_doc]

I will add my two cents. I do not consider myself particularly all that smart and I need to work hard for each and every mark I obtain in assignments and exams.

 

I have 3 priorities in this order: studies and assignments, volunteering and ECs. Social life is something that is unimportant as a priority and I spend time with friends during breaks.

 

To do well, I need to study very hard, nothing comes easy. I know myself very well now and so, I know how to study smart for me so as to use my time to maximum priority. Next to my health, my time is my most important assets and I budget it carefully and well to maximum advantage. My studies, volunteering and ECs keep my mind and body occupied from the time I wake until I hit the sack.

 

I am a straight A student only b/c of this approach and b/c of my dedication and focus. I have broken the code of myself and studying and I have the ability to study virtually anything, economics, religion, whatever, in additon to my major and obtain an A or A+ (occasionally I suffer with a A- and am so mad at myself!).

 

It is normal during the transition from h.s. to UG for marks to suffer, so at the startung gate, you need to have the maturity, focus and perseverance to work hard, if you don't understand something, ask, if you are having problems, go to an advisor or counsellor. This is no joke, you are preparing for the rest of your life, nobody can do it for you, not your parents or your best friend, you are accountable to yourself.

 

Although I work incredibly hard and have no social life whatsoever, I love my studies and all my activities, each of them prepare me for medicine and if I don't get in, I am still enjoying and will pursue my Plan B. Being a student is a "job" I love and I do the best I can. Studying subjects I enjoy makes all the difference in the world. I don't either look for 'bird' or 'hard' courses, my passion is my guide and preparing me for my future. We all live with uncertainty and pressure and you learn to deal with it and to enjoy the journey. This is a marathon, not a sprint, as another poster said. One last point, we all screw up somewhere along the way. When it happens, don't cry over spilt milk, you cannot change the past, move forward, march on and eventually the screw up won't feel nearly as bad.

 

Okay, I did not add my 2 cents, so I added my 10 cents, so shoot me.

[leviathan]

In undergrad I found you had plenty of time for your courses, so it was easy to put studying off until suddenly it all piled up a week before the final exam and you're screwed. In high school you can pull that off and still get an A+, but not in university. The best idea I found was to make a schedule for the entire semester of what you are going to study and master each day. Suddenly all you really have to do is maybe 1-2 hours a day and you'll be on top of everything.

[future_doc]

In undergrad I found you had plenty of time for your courses, so it was easy to put studying off until suddenly it all piled up a week before the final exam and you're screwed.

 

I am in UG and need to constantly study to attain my grades. If I let it pile up, I would have failed out long ago, and be serving you at the nearest food joint as a career.

[marcusnasland]

One thing that has really helped me to get a high average, although it can be very stressful and disappointing at times, is to think when you are studying and writing an exam that you will get 100 %. If you study to get 100 you will make sure you know abosolutely every little thing even if it is unlikely to be on the exam. If you are studying to only get a 90 you will skip parts that you think are not as important and subsequently lower your mark. So your mentality should be how can I get 100 % in university and not just over 85.

 

I started off university going to every single class... Don't do this. There are some classes you need to go to, but others that you don't. If you find yourself extremely bored in a class and your basically just sleeping this is a waste of time. Use this class time to study.

 

Use as many resources for a test as you can. What I mean by this is don't just use your class notes, this is going to extremely narrow your understanding of the subject. Use your notes, textbooks, notes that you make from the textbook, CDs that come with the textbook, study with classmates, or even use wikipedia.

 

That's my 2 cents, everyone is different, you will figure it out, first semester is always tough. I finished first semester with a 79 and then three years later my last semester a 94

[future_doc]

10 char:)

[123coco]

what really worked for me especially for the more challenging science courses were study sessions in groups. Do not make the mistake of always studying with friends because you will accomplish very little work. I like having a session maybe 2-3 days before a test because different people can bring different perspectives to a subject...even if you're the strongest person in the group, by simply teaching the material to others you are reinforcing your understanding of the subject....if something comes up that you guys still don't understand you have 2-3 to ask your prof.

 

Also, this is just a recommendation...but I would say during the first couple of months of your classes, it's a good idea to scope out your classmates and find a group of compatible students that are in many of your classes and have similar career ambitions...that way you can share resources ....just make sure that they know when to study and when to party...

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Ford zetec engine picture

[slick90210]

I'd say you are already on your way. You already have a set goal and are actively trying to achieve it. Many of us in first year could care less about school, but more about... less useful things.

[dchung42]

Believe it or not, it is extremely hard to study 24/7

Do fun stuff!

Study in a set of time.

Do other things with it.

Try to study in the morning/afternoon

Be efficient and study alone or in a small study group (highly suggested/not suggested)

Sometimes you talk about random ****s (actually most of the time)

Finish the work of the day and go do regular things like, internet, connecting with friends, learn about dental/medical schools, clean up your house (extremely important), eat nice things, go shopping, get a boy/girl friend

etc.

There are million things that will distract you but when you get it done before night (7/8pm: excluding exam period), and do the things that would normally distract you from studying.

I/friends ended up with all 80+ in all courses, all of us are in dental/medical schools except one friend who claims to study everyday all day but really do other things with studying such as MSN or SDN

[dchung42]

Oh and REALLY attend all your classes

study there not out of there

trust me

one lecture missed = one day to figure **** out or more

[Laura_333]

Oh and REALLY attend all your classes

study there not out of there

trust me

one lecture missed = one day to figure **** out or more

 

I think this is relative to the person. I attended all uni classes for a few weeks at the start of term and then decided which ones I should bring other homework to do during class. I think some professors simply cannot teach, or they just read from the text summary etc. I don't want to waste time in class when I could learn the stuff on my own WAYYYY faster. I think in some classes I did much better than my friends because I used the class time to simply read the text and take my own notes, where they trusted the teacher to teach them. However, I am a self-learner, and generally I learn best when I teach it to myself, or do most of the studying on my own time. That said, some people really do need to be in the classroom environment to learn, but that isn't me. Find what works for you!