Author: Poppy

Dear Sam, 

One piece of advice I would give you is to prepare for the increase in difficulty of most classes. Relating to that, one piece of advice I would offer would be to take good notes. The way that I learned to do this is to listen to what the professor has to say about the content and try to write it in a way that you can understand. This way, when you review notes, you can better understand what is being said, which I have struggled with the few times when I have just copied what was on the board. There is a saying that if you can teach a concept, you understand it well. By rewriting notes from the board, you are essentially teaching it to yourself, which helps build your understanding.  

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To be successful in college, one needs to study the information presented in class. The best way I have found to study is to find a quiet area on campus with little distractions and put on some relaxing music in the background. Distractions are my worst enemy when it comes to studying. There have been times where I will attempt to study in a louder area or with friends, and I typically get less work done because of sidetracks. Music helps me focus by blocking out the noise of wherever I am studying, decreasing distractions. 

Good luck in your college journey, 

Poppy 

       

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         One of the things that was a struggle for me last semester was being away from home. There were many times I wished that I could hug my parents or complain to them about something that had happened that day. I missed them a lot, and it was never easy to make the trip back home because I live four hours away. I would miss everything about being home, from friends and family to homemade meals from my dad. The thing that helped me the most through this time was calling my parents. They always knew how to make me feel better and motivated, even when I just wanted to go home. The times that I was able to make the trip back home were completely worth the long time in the car, even though it takes a long time. Being able to see my friends and family in person and see what had changed since I had left was always worth it.  

        Another thing I struggled with was the business ethics class that I took last semester. The majority of the class was memorizing names of who came up with what and understanding philosophy, which I found out that I am not good at. With this class, I had to develop new study strategies in order to pass the class, which was a big challenge for me. Last semester, I only had one class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I would do most of my work before and after that class in the library. When I get into a routine, I have found that I am more productive, so setting one up was a major step to success for me. After my routine was in place, I found that I was getting work done a lot faster, and I am grateful that I figured this strategy early in my college career.

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        One of the biggest differences I have noticed between high school and college is the amount of work due outside of class. Senior year was the year I had the most work outside of class in my high school career, and the most I would ever get would be a few sheets of statistics homework or a paper that would be due for AP Language that I was unable to finish during class time. Class time was a vital part of how I completed assignments because after school was over, I had little time or motivation to do schoolwork. Having time built into the class that allowed me to finish was a big reason why I was able to complete many of my assignments.  

        College is completely different in this way because there is rarely any time in class to do assignments. The professors pack so much content into their allotted time that there is never any time to start work on an assignment. My way of finding time to complete assignments is to go to the library before or after my classes to get work done, so that I have time to unwind that night. I believe the reason that I do this is because my brain is still used to doing schoolwork during the day, and not doing anything after around 5:30. This schedule has hurt me a few times, when I have many assignments due on the same day, and I will sometimes have to work into the late afternoon. When I have had to do assignments later than I usually do, I can tell that my energy level is lower, and I get off task very easily.