Best study tips to prepare for college level work

[mom31257]

Dd gets good grades very easily. I am concerned that she will begin college classes and find it takes a much different type of learning/studying to be able to make the grades. She is going to do dual enrollment classes at the local tech college, but I'm concerned they won't be challenging enough to prepare her for going away to college the next year. She will most likely go where she has a full, four year tuition scholarship and have to maintain a 3.7 GPA to keep it. 

 

Can any of you recommend any good websites, Youtube videos, books, etc., about studying in college? 

[TeaTotaler]

I have an older edition (7th) of How To Study in College by Walter Pauk that I purchased some time ago for the cost of shipping from Amazon.  I just went to AM and have no idea why the newer edition is so expensive - Cengage is involved...so that may be the reason. :-)

 

Also, Amy Barr from Lukeion has an article in the recent digital edition of Old Schoolhouse Magazine on "4 Crucial College Skills" that you may find helpful.  For some reason I can no longer link on these forums.....aargh.  Google might help.

 

 

[mom31257]

I have an older edition (7th) of How To Study in College by Walter Pauk that I purchased some time ago for the cost of shipping from Amazon.  I just went to AM and have no idea why the newer edition is so expensive - Cengage is involved...so that may be the reason. :-)

 

Also, Amy Barr from Lukeion has an article in the recent digital edition of Old Schoolhouse Magazine on "4 Crucial College Skills" that you may find helpful.  For some reason I can no longer link on these forums.....aargh.  Google might help.

 

Thanks! I found the article on the website. I looked and my library system has the Pauk book, so I put it on hold through our awesome, statewide, free inter-library loan!

[mom31257]

Keep the good suggestions coming!

 

[TechWife]

The book "What Smart Students Know" is really awesome.

[idnib]

http://calnewport.com/blog/

 

He has some books too but I personally think you can get what you need from the blog.

 

ETA: When he branched out from study tips he archived all the student-related materials here: http://calnewport.com/blog/archive/

[regentrude]

No website, but this is some advice I give to my students:

 

Take assigned readings seriously, even if there is no immediate reward in the form of points. Read science text with pencil in hand, take notes and work through examples - skimming is useless.

 

Read the syllabus. Seems like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised how many students don't. Professors usually spell out their expectations and rules.

 

Make the most out of class time. Take notes, listen actively, participate in discussions, actively engage with the material. You pay a lot of money to take this course - get as much "product" for your money as you can.

 

Ask for help. Colleges offer many opportunities for academic assistance: writing centers, math labs, learning centers, tutoring, office hours. Using these opportunities is something smart students do, not a sign of weakness. Get in the habit of attending these regularly for your hard classes, build the time into your schedule. Do this before you feel that you are behind. Study groups are often the best way to learn difficult material, because verbalizing a question or explaining a concept to another person organizes the material in your brain.

 

Professors want students to succeed. Most choose careers in academia because they enjoy teaching and interacting with students. Ask your instructor for help. Go to office hours and give your instructor a chance to get to know you.

 

Learn to utilize small chunks of time spread throughout the day. A full time schedule may not allow you large consecutive chunks of time. Make sure you do not waste the 30-60 minute bits that are spread throughout. It is very easy to blow those off because "it's not worth it", but they do add up.

 

ETA:

Have realistic expectations about the time needed. Plan for two hours work outside of class for every hour in class. Almost all students who fail my courses do so because they are not putting in sufficient time on task.

 

[idnib]

I saw a good quote once about skipping class: If you skip a class, it's like paying for a night in a nice hotel and then sleeping in the car.

[TravelingChris]

Are you sure the scholarship requires a 3.7 GPA?  That can be very tough to maintain.  Most programs I have seen have somewhere between a 3.25 and 3.5/

[Lori D.]

Are you sure the scholarship requires a 3.7 GPA?  That can be very tough to maintain.  Most programs I have seen have somewhere between a 3.25 and 3.5/

 

I was thinking the same thing. :)

 

Frankly, I thing the stress of trying to maintain that high of a GPA -- or even a 3.25 GPA -- can really push a student over the edge -- esp. a freshman who is trying to get used to this whole new college experience. And it's really important to earn all-As in the freshman/sophomore years, as it gets increasingly difficult with upper-division courses to keep up a near perfect GPA… 3.75 does NOT give you much wiggle room for very many Bs, and no wiggle room for Cs...

 

And, just a side note, but a very important one for the family to consider for the future: if the student can't hold up such a high GPA and loses the scholarship, can the family continue to fund the student at that school without the scholarship? It is VERY wise to have a "Plan B" for family funds and college financial aid!

 

Transferring to another college is a possibility -- but now the student has lost out on a lot of the scholarships they *could* have been eligible for if they had come in as a freshman at the alternative school… Be sure to carefully weigh all the pros and cons and count all the costs of the offered merit aid from each school when deciding! Just a few thoughts to keep in mind as the family decides on a college next year. :)

 

Congrats on your hard-working, high-achieving student! :) Warmest regards, Lori D.

[mom31257]

She is really set on this school. She could stay home and go practically free to a small state college nearby, but she wants to go to a Christian college away from home. She's been home all these years, so I can't blame her for it. 

 

It is a full, 4 year scholarship based on her ACT score, which was 33. If the GPA drops below 3.7, the scholarship drops in half, but she can bring it back up and regain the full amount.  She is concerned about it and is doing dual enrollment next year so that she won't have to take quite as many hours her freshman year. She will most likely be majoring in communications or business. I don't know how difficult the upper level classes will be, but I know she will work hard in order to stay there. 

 

I figure it will keep her more grounded and focused on why she is really there in the first place. I have a math degree and am willing to tutor part-time or get a job to help if she needs it, too. 

 

 

 

[swimmermom3]

No website, but this is some advice I give to my students:

 

Take assigned readings seriously, even if there is no immediate reward in the form of points. Read science text with pencil in hand, take notes and work through examples - skimming is useless.

 

Read the syllabus. Seems like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised how many students don't. Professors usually spell out their expectations and rules.

 

Make the most out of class time. Take notes, listen actively, participate in discussions, actively engage with the material. You pay a lot of money to take this course - get as much "product" for your money as you can.

 

Ask for help. Colleges offer many opportunities for academic assistance: writing centers, math labs, learning centers, tutoring, office hours. Using these opportunities is something smart students do, not a sign of weakness. Get in the habit of attending these regularly for your hard classes, build the time into your schedule. Do this before you feel that you are behind. Study groups are often the best way to learn difficult material, because verbalizing a question or explaining a concept to another person organizes the material in your brain.

 

Professors want students to succeed. Most choose careers in academia because they enjoy teaching and interacting with students. Ask your instructor for help. Go to office hours and give your instructor a chance to get to know you.

 

Learn to utilize small chunks of time spread throughout the day. A full time schedule may not allow you large consecutive chunks of time. Make sure you do not waste the 30-60 minute bits that are spread throughout. It is very easy to blow those off because "it's not worth it", but they do add up.

 

ETA:

Have realistic expectations about the time needed. Plan for two hours work outside of class for every hour in class. Almost all students who fail my courses do so because they are not putting in sufficient time on task.

 

Thank you.  I printed this out and shared it with my son. What is considered nagging from mom, takes on a whole different meaning when presented by an "authority." 

 

As an aside, when my son read this, he commented, "I'll bet she is a good professor; she has the "tone."  Translated, I think this means that you sound like a tough, but fair swim coach. :D 

 

[Wildcat]

I was thinking the same thing. :)

 

Frankly, I thing the stress of trying to maintain that high of a GPA -- or even a 3.25 GPA -- can really push a student over the edge -- esp. a freshman who is trying to get used to this whole new college experience. And it's really important to earn all-As in the freshman/sophomore years, as it gets increasingly difficult with upper-division courses to keep up a near perfect GPA… 3.75 does NOT give you much wiggle room for very many Bs, and no wiggle room for Cs...

 

And, just a side note, but a very important one for the family to consider for the future: if the student can't hold up such a high GPA and loses the scholarship, can the family continue to fund the student at that school without the scholarship? It is VERY wise to have a "Plan B" for family funds and college financial aid!

 

Transferring to another college is a possibility -- but now the student has lost out on a lot of the scholarships they *could* have been eligible for if they had come in as a freshman at the alternative school… Be sure to carefully weigh all the pros and cons and count all the costs of the offered merit aid from each school when deciding! Just a few thoughts to keep in mind as the family decides on a college next year. :)

 

Congrats on your hard-working, high-achieving student! :) Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

:iagree: Ds actually declined a school because their GPA requirement to renew a scholarship was a 3.7, which was the same requirement for teaching, liberal arts, premed, etc. I'm not saying education classes are easy but I'm pretty sure molecular biology is a tad bit more difficult than, say "creative bulletin boards" (which was an actual class when I was in school).

 

A friend of mine has a son who lost his scholarship after the *first* semester because a C a class brought his GPA down below the 3.7 threshold and there was no recourse to recover the scholarship. We crossed that school off our list right away.

 

One thing I learned early on was to contact the schools for the fine print on scholarships!! As most things, I found that each school has its own rules.

 

OP, I have no suggestions for you--- I just popped in to gather ideas, too! I was also a student who didn't have to study in high school and found both my pride and GPA took a beating in college. :coolgleamA:

[Lori D.]

…. She is ...  doing dual enrollment next year so that she won't have to take quite as many hours her freshman year...

 

You might want to check on the scholarship requirements, as often there is a required minimum of 15 credits on top of maintaining a minimum GPA. So those dual enrollment credits will be great, BUT, there is also a possibility it may also mean that she will be starting her freshman year with a few sophomore level classes in order to reach a potential minimum amount of credits, which could actually make her first year *harder* rather than easier…

 

 

…  If the GPA drops below 3.7, the scholarship drops in half, but she can bring it back up and regain the full amount...

… I… am willing to… get a job to help if she needs it...

 

 

It sounds like your family understands that drop/loss of scholarship could be a possibility, and your family has been thinking through the reality of that and how you could absorb a potential financial aid cut (or complete loss). :)

 

I would still highly recommend that you and DD do some research and come up with a back-up school in case of loss of scholarship AND finances don't permit staying at her dream school. You would want to make sure that the school would accept both the dual enrollment credits AND any credits earned at the dream college as credits toward degree program, not just as "electives".

 

And of course, you want to apply to several schools initially, just in case the dream school doesn't accept DD, and also there is a small chance they will "sweetened" the financial aid package if they know they are in competition with other schools for a strong scholar. ;)

 

Congrats, again on your hard worker! :) Warmest regards, Lori D.

[DonHomeschool]

Mom31257,

 

With an ACT score of 33, I don't think she is going to have a problem maintaining a 3.7 GPA (average of A-).  But based on my experience with college instruction, here is my “2 cents:â€

 

1) Have your daughter take the minimum amount of courses needed to qualify as a full-time student.  It is usually 12 credits (approximately 4 courses at 3 credits each).  A lot of very intelligent students make the mistake and take 18 to 21 college credits in one semester.  That is a lot of work and can "burn" a student out very easily.  Instead, I recommend that your daughter take 12 credits for each full term (Fall & Spring) and take a few classes in the Summer and Winter sessions (if available).

 

2) If your child is going to take 4 courses during a semester, they should try to balance the courses by taking 2 “easy†courses and 2 “challenging†courses.  Easy courses can be defined as subjects that she “masters.† I know students that registers for a natural science and a math course (as their easy courses); and registers for a foreign language and social science course (as their challenging courses).  On the other hand, I see students that register for the same courses, but see the opposite (natural science/math as hard courses, and foreign language/social science as easy courses).

 

3)  Very important, Regentrude stated above that “professors want students to succeed.  Most choose careers in academia because they enjoy teaching and interacting with students.† That is true for some, but not all professors.  Let me quickly explain:

There are professors that are engaging and enjoy teaching.  However, a few will never give a student an “A,†especially if the student is taking a course that is subjectively graded.  Moreover, there are professors that grades on a curve.  So if your child is averaging 96 on all her assignments, but there are a few more students in the same class averaging a higher grade, your child may get her grade curved down from an “A†to an “A-“ or “B+.† Your daughter may have learned a lot and did well in class, but these types of professors can put her scholarship into jeopardy.  As a result, if there is a course that has various sections, a student should research which professor would be a “good fit†(and avoid all the bad professors).

 

There are other recommendations, but it will be too long to post.  I hope this helped.

[Susie in CA]

I love Regentrude's post above! These are all things I have told ds over and over again this year. He is taking his Math classes, and in the fall also Science, at the college. He just now, finally, ready to admit that scheduling time at the math center is a good idea. We'll be building it into his schedule in the fall.

 

 

[yvonne]

Thanks! I found the article on the website.

 

Could you post a link to the article? 

[mom31257]

Here is the link to the current edition of the magazine which has the article.