College Success Tips

 

Utilize Campus Resources

1. Be aware of all college resources. Learning Assistance has free help available in tutoring, writing, reading, math, study skills, ESL, and services for students with disabilities. http://www.byui.edu/lal  

2. Become familiar with the library and it's services. It can make life easier.

3. Become familiar with the services available to students on the Ricks College web page.

4. Get to know your academic advisor soon. They can be of great help.

5. Don't hesitate about getting a tutor for a course. The average GPA of students who use tutors at BYU-Idaho is 3.2. This indicates that it is the smart students who know where help is available.



Know your Schedule

1. Become familiar with your class schedule quickly-when and where classes are held and who the teacher is.

1. Know the class syllabi-read and refer to it often.



Set Academic Goals

1. Have a specific purpose and goal in mind as to why you are here. (Everyone has a purpose for being in college.) Decide what you really want from your education.



Time Management

1. Learn to prioritize activities. Write down all the things you have to do, or want to do, and then decide which is the most important, next important, etc. Then focus on the first item and get it done. Then do the second item, etc.

2. To be most effective with time management first monitor your time for three days in half an hour increments. Then add up how much time you spent sleeping, studying, going to class, working, relaxing, traveling, eating, etc. This will help you see how you currently use your time and if adjustments need to be made, you will see where.

3. Make and use a semester calendar so as to see ahead of time when exams and projects are due. Projects can be more easily completed if broken down into segments and due dates are set for each segment.

4. Develop a weekly schedule including specific times to study specific subjects. Keep in mind the general rule of thumb that for every hour spent in class you should dedicate two hours studying.

5. Evaluate how your time is used each week and try to make improvements.

6. Learn to say NO when others want you to play before studying.



7. Use the "idle time" between classes wisely, even if it's only 5-10 minutes, by studying notes or flash cards.

8. Finish your homework then play. Remember to schedule free time.



Lifestyle Management

1. Eat properly. You cannot maintain good health unless you do.

2. Schedule regular exercise. This is not only good for the body but a great break from studying.

3. Get the proper amount of sleep. Go to bed early.

4. The time spent in classes and studying should be equivalent to a full time job (30- 60 hours a week.) Plan two hours of study for every hour in class.

5. Take advantage of all the opportunities available at BYU-Idaho.

6. Develop friends outside of your apartment.

7. If there is a conflict with roommates, sit down and talk it out.

8. Along with required courses, take other classes of personal interest.

9. Find something to enjoy about each subject.

10. Challenge your self to be motivated.

11. Don't worry about things that cannot be controlled. Worrying doesn't solve anything, but positive action does.

12. Remember to stay close to the Lord through prayer scripture study, and church attendance.

13. Listen 70% of the time and speak only 30% of the time.

14. Follow the code of honor. Always do your own work

15. Keep track of scores in each class.

16. Keep track of where your personal disks, papers, homework etc. are located.

17. Help others. As you help others, whether academically or not, you will

also be learning and growing.

18. Understand that getting good grades involves more study and work than you are accustomed to.

Maintaining a Healthy Professor-Student Relationship

1. Develop the mind set that you are here to learn and that professors are not adversaries, they're here to help.

2. Make sure the professor knows you and that you are interested in your education.

3. Don't be shy.

4. Arrive early in class and sit in the very front. Professors will notice your desire to learn.

5. Have a friendly relationship with the professor. Talk with professors regularly.

6. Make an appointment with your professor if something is not clear.

7. Try to understand the professor's expectations for students.

8. Don't criticize the professor or complain. Be open to new ideas presented.

9. Maintain a positive attitude toward the subjects being studied.

10. Participate in class. Ask questions. Professors want students to succeed and are willing to help!

11. Don't be afraid to interrupt and ask questions if a concept is not understood.

12. Complete all readings and assignments on time.

13. Focus on learning and not just on the grade!



Preparation for Class

1. Read the assigned chapter(s) before class and review your class notes after each class.

2. Use the few minutes between classes to review and preview the lectures. Finish your homework before going to class. Don't procrastinate.

3. Go to class with formulated questions that you would like to have answered.

 

Getting the Most out of Class

1. Try not to schedule back-to-back classes.

2. During each class, listen for the patterns of organization which the professors use as they lecture. Organize your notes in the same manner. Listen carefully to the points the professor emphasizes.

3. If the topic or class is not of interest, try to become interested. Find a reason to be involved in every discussion or lecture.

4. Write questions to your self on the side of your notes during class.

5. Ask questions--you're paying the college instructors to help you.

6. Be a part mentally of all discussions. You're paying for your education (or someone is). It has been estimated that when considering all things, one hour in class costs $30-35.00.

7. Take plenty of notes in class and always keep those notes organized. Consider using the Cornell style of note taking.

8. Review your notes as soon after class as possible but at least within 24 hours. Then review all your notes taken during the week on Friday. Review again after a month. The retention level is overwhelming if this review pattern is followed.

9. Get to know people in each of your classes, especially students who seem to be serious students. Form study groups with them and compare notes.

 

How to Study

1. Study during daylight hours.

2. Study your hardest, or most boring, subjects first while still fresh.

3. Have a set aside study time instead of "whenever I have time".

4. Avoid marathon study sessions. They are ineffective.

5. Don't study where you sleep and don't sleep where you study.

6. Find a quiet place to study so as to focus properly.

7. Study in the same place. Your mind can be trained to do a certain thing in a certain place.

8 Relax! If you feel stressed take a five-minute non-TV break from studying. Then come back and study a different subject.

9. To help with concentration make a mark on a piece of paper every time your mind wonders or is distracted. After several days of doing so the concentration deepens and the number of marks begins to decrease.

10. Review regularly old material.

11. Use flash cards. These are good ways to learn facts.

12. Review your notes as soon after class as possible but at least within 24 hours. This is a critical time period for maximum recall.

13. Study more than you think you need to.

Reading of Text

1. Learn how to STUDY a textbook rather than just read it. Learn to use the SQ3R method - Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review.

2. Read your textbook in segments, recite after each section (not after each chapter), then review what you have read when you are finished.

3. You bought the book with your money. READ IT! MARK IT! WRITE IN IT!

4. Don't be afraid to disagree with a textbook.

5. Become familiar with your textbook, study the summary at the end of each chapter first and write down possible test questions from each paragraph. Take notes on what you've read.

6. Do your reading during daylight hours.

7. Write down any questions about your assigned reading to ask in class.

8. ALWAYS keep up on reading .

9. If you experience difficulty comprehending what you read, get help in the Reading Center.

10. Keep a dictionary handy for referencing unfamiliar words.



Getting it to Stick

1. Apply what you are learning to everyday life.

2. Teach what you learn.

3. Learn to use mnemonic devices to help you memorize.

4. Frequently review your notes. Repetition makes it permanent.

5. If your homework is confusing, especially math, do extra problems to better understand the procedures.



Develop the Art of Questioning

1. Don't be afraid to ask questions in class. Chances are that someone else will have the same question. Asking questions will also help the instructor to get to know you.

2. Talk to the teacher privately for very specific questions.

3. Continually ask yourself questions while studying and try to find the answer before the study session is over.

4. Find answers to your questions as soon as possible.

5. Ask classmates questions on unclear points

Develop Good Study Skills

1. Study habits can be developed. The Study Skills Center can help you learn skills which can be of great benefit. Once can also receive academic credit for doing so.

2. Discover your learning style through diagnostic instruments available in the Study Skills and Reading Centers. Learn how you learn best.

3. Learn to take effective notes.









 

How to Take Exams

1. Learn some testing strategies in the Study Skills Center. The Myers Briggs Personality Type Indicator (MBTI) can help you understand some strategies that might be beneficial to your particular learning style.

2. Learn the instructors testing style and study appropriately.

3. Predict questions the professor might ask on the test.

4. Take tests during daylight hours while you are the freshest.

5. Review all your notes, textbook chapters, homework and tests.

6. Begin preparing for the test two to three days before tests. Not the night before.

7. Start preparing for your final exams after the very first class period.

8. Don't cram. You may pass the test but you will most likely forget everything in two or three days.

9. Think of tests as a way to demonstrate what you know. Use the returned test to review the points that you may have missed. Use them as a learning experience.