how2survivecollege-guide

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[how2survivecollege-guide]

Hi, Im a 1st year uni student and Ive got an exam in a few days. Ive just finished my assignments so I havent had much of a chance to study. Its a 3 hour exam and I have to write 4 essays from any of the 9 questions were given about topics weve studied throughout the semester, and we can take in 2 a4 sheets of notes. The thing is Im terrible at essay exams. Any other kind I can ace but essays have always been my downfall. I dont mind what grade I get, I just want to pass. Do you have any advice?

Hey there! I should note that it’s a bit late to start now unfortunately, you can’t really cram university exams, so what you’ve got now is probably what you’ll go with. University essay marking is also notoriously difficult. 

How to Study for an Essay Exam

Make a mindmap of the concepts you need to know for each essay. Just sketch a quick one since time is of the essence. Essentially you want to get an idea of how the concepts interrelate, especially cause and effect since you’ll basically be trying to argue and convey your ideas, interpretations, and explanations, in the essay. 

The majority of your time should be dedicated to planning how to argue and elaborate upon the examples you need. Write down in dot points your main arguments by breaking down the keywords of the questions. This knowledge should (hopefully) come from the knowledge of the topics you’ve been learning from your classes. The essay basically fleshes out your understanding, so if you’re lacking an understanding of the concepts, you’ll probably be struggling a bit. 

If required (i.e. if you don’t know how the concepts interrelate), try and skim read and check the notes you should have been making in the margins of your readings. These should form your personal interpretations for the arguments. 

Once you’ve written down dot points of how the essay should flow out, then you should take a small break and then come back thinking critically as an essay marker; try and think of counter arguments they might make, or think of where your arguments are a bit weak/ unsupported by evidence. Make sure you put a stopper on any leaky arguments. 

On your cheat sheets, you ought to write down examples of what you want to delve into - particularly any quotes or specific factual information e.g. dates and minutae. The notes are intended to take away the memorisation process from your studying. 

I should add that my degree was a science degree and so if any humanities majors want to add any useful pointers to please do so. 

[how2survivecollege-guide]

Twinkies for breakfast

College at its finest 🙏🏻

[how2survivecollege-guide]

Easy things you can do to be a better leader in your music program (or in general!)

Know everyone’s name

Keep a pencil in your instrument case and in your music folder

Help a different person on their music once a week, every week

Go to rehearsal ten minutes early and start warming up, even if nobody else is

If you see that the chairs are out of order before rehearsal, fix them before your director tells you to

If you see trash, pick it up

Say hi to everyone from your program when you see them in the halls, even if you don’t know them that well

[how2survivecollege-guide]

How I Cram For Finals

This is how I cram when I have to (spoiler, very often). Disclaimer, it’s not healthy, it’s desperation taking over and I would not recommend it unless you really need to do it.

Plan of action

Take five minutes to make a plan. This is how mine usually goes:

Make a lisf of all your topics/units (with little boxes)

Whatever you’ve already studied gets crossed off.

Whatever you remember from class gets ticked.

Topics your prof went over quickly and kind of implied weren’t that important, put a cross in their box

Essential topics get an exclamation mark in the box.

Count the hours until your exam

Substract 2-4 hours for sleeping per day (adjust this to whatever amount of sleep you know you can function on). You don’t need to use these, but it’s good to set some time aside in case you crash.

Substract 15-30 minutes for each meal until your exam (yes, you’re gonna have to put a timer on when you have them)

-10 minutes for showering if you have to

- 30 minutes for getting ready in the morning + however long it takes you to get to where you’ll be taking your exam

Divide the hours you’ve calculated between the non crossed/ticked topics. You’ll have to set a timer while you’re studying these too.

Start with the ones that have an exclamation mark

If after you’re done with those, you have some time left, start with the topics with ticked boxes, continue with the ones with crosses and lastly go over the crossed out ones.

Tips

Ditch color coding - actually if you can, ditch highlighting altogether. Otherwise, keep it to one color.

Use mnemonics as a super fast way to memorize lists - identify the most important word of each item in it, make a word out of of all these letters and then make up a sentence with the topic of the list (so for ‘characteristics of the peptidic bond, you’d just pick ‘peptidic bond’) and the word you’ve just made

As you go along, write down details, figures and stuff that seems like key info on a sticky note and stick those on a page one after another. This is just like making a cheat sheet but you can make the info stand out more without any need for prettyfying. Warning - you’ll be using a shitload of sticky notes. You can see an example here. This way you can review all the crucial facts right before your exam.

Doing a one minute workout each hour at night will keep you alert if you’re not sleeping enough

Ok so now that you’ve read this (probably on your phone), turn it off and put it in a drawer in the room furthest away from you. This is critical for success. Any other distractions? Laptop, food, TV? Sell it, tell your roommate to take it for a walk, lock it in the bathroom, I do not care, get rid of it. Godspeed my fellow procrastinators

More posts

How To Stop Procrastinating

Skincare 101

How To Stop Skipping Class

Memorization Tips

Random College Tips

+more

[how2survivecollege-guide]

College Dorm Life Hack

when out of spoons, drink applesauce out of a solo cup

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*tells self to eat healthy* *proceeds to have grissini, pringles and fruit twist fanta for breakfast*

[how2survivecollege-guide]

And! You can always add on later if you feel like it. So don’t sweat it.

Doing the bare minimum is okay. Just do your best to get done what you can while still taking care of you.

[how2survivecollege-guide]

10 Ways to Improve Your Time Management Skills

1. Delegate Tasks: It is common for all of us to take more tasks than our desired potential. This can often result in stress and burnout. Delegation is not running away from your responsibilities but is an important function of management. Learn the art of delegating work to your subordinates as per their skills and abilities.

2. Prioritize Work: Before the start of the day, make a list of tasks that need your immediate attention as unimportant tasks can consume much of your precious time. Some tasks need to be completed on that day only while other unimportant tasks could be carried forward to next day.  In short, prioritize your tasks to focus on those that are more important.

3. Avoid Procrastination: Procrastination is one of the things that badly affect the productivity. It can result is wasting essential time and energy. It should be avoided at all costs. It could be a major problem in both your career and your personal life.

4. Schedule Tasks: Carry a planner or notebook with you and list all the tasks that come to your mind. Make a simple ‘To Do’ list before the start of the day, prioritize the tasks, and make sure that they are attainable. To better manage your time management skills, you may think of making 3 lists: work, home, and personal.

5. Avoid Stress: Stress often occurs when we accept more work than our ability. The result is that our body starts feeling tired which can affect our productivity. Instead, delegate tasks to your juniors and make sure to leave some time for relaxation.

6. Set up Deadlines: When you have a task at hand, set a realistic deadline and stick to it. Try to set a deadline few days before the task so that you can complete all those tasks that may get in the way. Challenge yourself and meet the deadline. Reward yourself for meeting a difficult challenge.

7. Avoid Multitasking: Most of us feel that multitasking is an efficient way of getting things done but the truth is that we do better when we focus and concentrate on one thing. Multitasking hampers productivity and should be avoided to improve time management skills.

8. Start Early: Most of the successful men and women have one thing in common. They start their day early as it gives them time to sit, think, and plan their day. When you get up early, you are more calm, creative, and clear-headed. As the day progresses, your energy levels start going down which affects your productivity and you don’t perform as well.

9. Take Some Breaks: Whenever you find yourself for 10-15 minutes, take a break. Too much stress can take the toll on your body and affect your productivity. Take a walk, listen to some music or do some quick stretches. The best idea is to take off from work and spend time with your friends and family.

10. Learn to say No: Politely refuse to accept additional tasks if you think that you’re already overloaded with work. Take a look at your ‘To Do’ list before agreeing to take on extra work.

[how2survivecollege-guide]

How to be a college student

As a 22 year old who is about to graduate this May and is lowkey (highkey) panicking, here are the things I wish I knew or had done starting my freshman year. Or the things I have done and stick by. I’d like to think four years (or 3.5 really) has changed me for the better.

Make use of your resources!  - Let’s start with your major and career. You don’t have to know what you want to do, but definitely, and I mean please do, list down all your options for majors and career paths! Then go to your school’s career center, talk to someone, and have them give you resources on how to write a cover letter, how to interview, how to find out what you want to do in life, possible career options, etc. You might even find these on the website. I didn’t realize my school had so many of these things until like…my last semester. Make friends with people and ask them about their majors/classes, ask them if they know someone in another major you’re interested in so you can ask them about it, etc. People are busy, but people also want to help because it makes them feel useful and good about themselves.

Join clubs - Sign up for all the club emails and go to them. Then quit the ones you’re not interested in and go to the ones you are interested in. CAMARADERIE. It’s great to have friends in classes but even better to also have friends outside of classes. I joined a couple clubs first semester and didn’t go to any, but was still subscribed to emails. Second semester I opened an email where one club was looking for members for their annual show and I decided to try out for the marketing committee and got in even though I thought I butchered the interview and my marketing head + then-future-president liked me so much she asked me to apply for marketing head of the whole club the following year.

Do internships! - You might want to chill your freshman year and get used to things, but as soon as you can, apply to internships and do as many as you can in college! Of course, make sure you don’t overwork yourself because you’re still in school and should have a social life. Otherwise, and I cannot stress this enough, having a number of internships under your resume can seriously help you out in the future once you’re about to start applying to jobs. Honestly, I wish I did more.

Scared of failing? Too shy? Too not-out-there? People will judge you? - Okay so here’s the thing. Failure is nothing. Everyone fails and I mean everybody. People will judge you (either good or bad), but that’s okay, because they know only 1% of you and you’re subject to change and grow. The best thing you can do for yourself, and other people honestly, is to stick up for yourself. Be your own best friend. Yeah, you’re going to stutter and be awkward or whatever it is that will happen, but you have to go through it to get out of it. Let yourself have your strange and awkward and shy moments. Congrats! You’re putting yourself out there. It’s all about practice.

Say yes! - Not to drugs. But otherwise, go to that party if it ain’t shady! Go to that school event with your friends! Go to the museum! Agree to that study session! This sounds cliche but I swear by it, you never know what good thing or memories will come out of it.

But also say no! - This is a little tricky. It’s easy to say no when you’re stuck in your shell, but it’s harder to say no when it comes to not being a pushover or taking care of yourself. Generally, I find that once you get a sense of who you are…or to put in better terms, who you want to be, it’s easier to set boundaries for yourself. Boundaries are great.

Make a budget list - Use an app, Excel, whatever. Set a budget per month and per day (or per week, I find, may be easier). The act of doing this makes you more conscious of your money and where it goes. Make sure you record at least the items you bought and the amount you spent, so by the end of the month you know what you spend the most on. 

Keep all your (old and new) documents - Especially if you’re an international student. For travel, health, etc. You never know when you’ll need them.

Forget who you were before or yesterday - Forget high school you, or what you did in High School, or what you did yesterday. You’re you now, and every day is the day you get to change and do what you want to do, or be who you want to be. (By the way, this doesn’t happen overnight. It takes time, lots of setbacks and failures, and perseverance. Just keep swimming as Dory said.)

Just go for it - It’s good to be prepared but sometimes we can’t be prepared and we have to go all in and just do it. Failing or not getting what you want may suck, but I swear, when you get something you want but didn’t expect to, it makes it all worth it.

You’re going to change - Good things AND bad things will happen. Don’t hate yourself for it. What matters is how you deal with it and how you pick yourself back up.

Cherish your friends - Be good to people and make new friends every year, but also make sure you make time for those friends who will stick by you all four years (or three or two depending when you meet them) and don’t take them for granted. Spend time with them without going on your phones. Talk to them about stuff. Listen to what they have to say, ask them for help, and do the same for them. Four years can go by real quick.

[how2survivecollege-guide]

How to Get the Most Out of Your Day: A Time Management Post

1. List out all of your obligations for every day of the week and the times of them. This can be classes, work, gym time, etc.

2. Calculate how much free time in between your obligations. Is it enough to fit in other needs such as studying and homework? What about squeezing in hobbies? Reading a book? Going out with friends? Learning Spanish on the side? Here’s how mine looks

3. If you’re unsatisfied with the amount of free time you have calculated in step two, you have some options.

Wake up earlier: If you’re considering this route, ask yourself if you’ll actually get up earlier. Will you still be getting eight or more hours of sleep? If the answer to either of these questions is no, toss this option out.

Stay up later: Again, are you getting eight or more hours of sleep? No? Not this option either then.

Cut down on your obligations. You can’t cut out school, and you probably can’t cut out work. Anything else is up to you.

Eat into your me time: Think about if you’re giving yourself too much me time. Are you going out while your obligations are being neglected? Maybe so.

Takeaway: Utilize your free time in between your obligations. Have a specific half a day to a day set aside for yourself to do what you enjoy, but keep up with your obligations.

[how2survivecollege-guide]

035

god animating this was super challenging but really fun… starting to get used to animating arcs and using the wave technique… honestly i could never animate something like this back in summer and to see im improving my animation makes me so happy QwQ

this is for a map part…

[how2survivecollege-guide]

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I love working on turnarounds

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Do not bitch at people in a group project for finishing their part of the project last minute before your meeting. If you did not establish a more specific deadline before your meeting, you cannot assume your group members have the same priorities as you.

Obviously, it’s great to take initiative and finish something early. But if your work depends on someone else’s, you need to establish those sort of boundaries. Otherwise, it’s also your responsibility for not agreeing with that person when they need to have competed it.

You are not better than someone else for doing something early. If you want other people to do something early you should move up the deadline instead of being condescending after the fact. No one cares how early you finished your part. Good for you.

You need to learn to work with people. That includes communicating with them, not assuming they will work the same way as you. Trying to be the star of the show to exert dominance is not working as a team. That’s not leading.

[how2survivecollege-guide]

Me: I want to write books

Me: I want to build rocket ships

Me: I want to learn a dozen languages

Also me: I want to sleep more.

[how2survivecollege-guide]

7 Things Not To Apologize For

DON’T - neither in business nor in private:

Setting priorities & making room for it

Saying NO to something/someone

Taking time to form your own opinion

Closing a chapter (a bad job, a toxic relationship, etc.)

Standing your ground

Following your dreams & working on YOUR future

Defending/protecting what matters to you

Best of luck. Your m