BrentJones Posted April 12, 2010 Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 Been out of high school for the past two years. Finally starting this September, at Waterloo for science... Just a little nervous, as my study skills are a little rusty, and I forgot a bit of what I learned in science, and math, etc... I used to be really sharp, and disciplined (compared to now), but now I'm a little "soft". Do you have any suggestions for making the transition easier? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooner Posted April 12, 2010 Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 I think the most important is to stay on top of everything from the get-go. Don't procrastinate and take some time to look back on what study methods worked for you in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nobodycirclesthewagons Posted April 12, 2010 Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 First year science and math has a lot of stuff you already learned in Gr.12 and even some stuff from Gr.11. However, don't take your courses lightly. It's not like high school where only your final year matters. Everything from your first midterm to your last ever exam matters in university. There will also be a lot of people who are away from the structure from their home environments and they'll develop lax study habits because of that lack of structure. Don't be one of those people. It's easier said than done, especially if you're in res, but remember why you're there and that you're (or your parents or whomever) are paying a lot of money. You'll probably see a lot of people who are paying $13,000 to party for eight months... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeraJaclyn Posted April 12, 2010 Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 Been out of high school for the past two years. Finally starting this September, at Waterloo for science... Just a little nervous, as my study skills are a little rusty, and I forgot a bit of what I learned in science, and math, etc... I used to be really sharp, and disciplined (compared to now), but now I'm a little "soft". Do you have any suggestions for making the transition easier? I'm not sure where I heard this from, but I think it might have been from the late Randy Pausch. The two hardest things in the world to say are "I don't know" and "I need help". If you can humble yourself to say these things whenever you feel them, you are going to succeed in life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted April 12, 2010 Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 ....Don't procrastinate..... Write this in big red letters and put it up on your wall. Seriously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgt.pepper Posted April 12, 2010 Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 Maybe you can start reviewing now. I doubt the calculus and first year books are going to change because they are rather new editions. Biology don't bother. Chem and math I would say at least get the basics down. I don't know how behind you are but that is what i would do Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewfieMike Posted April 12, 2010 Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 Been out of high school for the past two years. Finally starting this September, at Waterloo for science... Just a little nervous, as my study skills are a little rusty, and I forgot a bit of what I learned in science, and math, etc... I used to be really sharp, and disciplined (compared to now), but now I'm a little "soft". Do you have any suggestions for making the transition easier? just literally do everything you think you need to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooner Posted April 12, 2010 Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 Write this in big red letters and put it up on your wall. Seriously. Don't procrastinate /10character I wish I had someone to drill this into my thick skull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leap87 Posted April 12, 2010 Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 Congrats on getting into Waterloo! That being said - POLISH your math skills ASAP, as well as basic science. Waterloo is known for its emphasis on science. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starling Posted April 12, 2010 Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 Like others have said, don't procrastinate! From day one, make sure you understand the material covered in lecture. For subjects like math/chem/physics, this usually means doing practice problems. I don't know anything Waterloo-specific, but your mark will probably just be midterm + final (i.e. no homework), so it's up to you to make sure you've studied. Since you've been out of school for a couple of years, you may want to try to find out who is teaching some of your courses that directly require knowledge from high school (probably calc, physics, chem), briefly explain your situation and ask if there's any topics they suggest you review. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thatonekid Posted April 12, 2010 Report Share Posted April 12, 2010 Related to not procrastinating is making sure you have good time management skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fandanstan Posted April 14, 2010 Report Share Posted April 14, 2010 If you want to brush up on Chem (or any science course for that matter), or math, go here: http://www.youtube.com/user/khanacademy#p/p Trust me, it'll help. I start uni as well after 1 year off. Gotta get my chemistry basics down before starting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
future_doc Posted April 14, 2010 Report Share Posted April 14, 2010 It's all about prioritzing, having a strong work ethic, good time management skills and not allowing yourself to be distracted from your priorities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charmer08 Posted April 14, 2010 Report Share Posted April 14, 2010 Try to stay as far from the internet as possible when studying.... INTERNET IS EVIL!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maxphi5 Posted April 14, 2010 Report Share Posted April 14, 2010 Try to stay as far from the internet as possible when studying.... INTERNET IS EVIL!!! haha, couldn't have said so better myself. And yeah, it truly is, look at what it did to Deeman, especially look at what PM101 did to him:rolleyes: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfootspartan Posted April 15, 2010 Report Share Posted April 15, 2010 I found in my first year it helped a lot to find things that helped me de-stress. After getting back the first midterms I wrote (and realizing that I had to do way more work than high school) I started getting unreal stressed before exams. Once you find out how you learn best then you'll be all set. Don't be afraid to try new study techniques, they might work better, or they might work worse. I found my first year was just as much learning about myself as it was learning the material... And have fun. If you're not enjoying your undergrad, somethings wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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