The first few weeks of college has taught me a lot, but the most important thing I have come to realize is that studying can be the difference between passing and failing. I came out of high school with basic study habits. I use the basic skills of studying for all of my classes and then based on the rigor of the class I add more to my techniques. For example, I make flashcards, complete study guides, rewrite, reread, and annotate notes. Specific techniques I use in class are making use of sticky notes in order to add key terms or ideas that weren’t necessarily touched on in the notes. I also actively listen instead of trying to frantically copy down all of the notes. Specific techniques I utilize outside of the class include reviewing key terms/concepts I am unsure of in a study group and utilizing office hours. All of these techniques have helped me succeed in the first few weeks of college.

One class that I am doing significantly well in is my Intro to Literature class. When we are assigned readings I am sure to read and annotate thoroughly. From here, I like to review my notes and pick out key points that may have a deeper meaning. I then try to recite the story back to myself, and if I have any problems, I make sure to ask them during our class discussions. I also include quotes and page numbers that I find to be significant and a reasoning to go along. This is useful when studying because it gives me evidence to refer back to. These techniques have aided me in better understanding the stories I read and succeeding on examinations.

One class that I find myself struggling with is Interpreting the American Past. A few ways to evaluate this is to ask myself questions relating to planning, monitoring, and evaluating. Planning includes asking myself how much time I need to spend studying, what I need to spend time studying, and how I plan to study. I should study for this class at least six hours a week. A good time management tip would be to take two hours three days a week and split the time up into an hour of studying and then a 30 minute break in between. One thing I need to focus more on is thoroughly reading the documents assigned for discussion boards to help more accurately respond to the questions. Monitoring involves discussing how I am being organized when I study, taking advantage of learning support, self motivation, how I have clarified my confusions, and how I can clarify confusions that have remained. I am being systematic in my studying because I always review my notes/retake them to get a better understanding of the material. I am sure to use all learning support by actively looking for ways to use it when I have confusions . I am often times faced with struggles of motivation, but then I remember that class is required for my major. I struggle with the discussion boards, but I have cleared up most of my confusions by looking at notes my teacher leaves for me and asking my peers questions. I still have confusions on the first discussion board and the readings bc I can’t quite grasp the concept of the documents assigned nor can I properly connect them to the questions. None of my peers seem to understand either, so I will make use of office hours in order to better comprehend the assignment. Evaluating includes discussing what techniques of preparation worked on the exam, which didn’t, and which questions were answered correctly and how do the compare with the correct answer. Looking over the key terms provided and writing the essays ahead of time were valuable in my success on the exam. Spend too much time on something I already understood was of very little use to my success, and I will not do this again. One concept I missed on the exam was the result of the Quasi-War and the war itself. My answer was way off because I did not understand the war nor did I understand its outcomes. I still need to clarify why this war was fought in the first place. All of these questions are important in the process of studying and succeeding.

ODU provides its students with many useful tips/resources for academics. Five of the tips that I found most important were: creating mind maps, watching videos to get a better understanding of the material, going over notes that have been taken at the end of every week, listening for major points in lectures instead of focusing mainly on minor points, and listening to cues for important points that you may see again. One new technique that I plan to make use of in class is focusing on the major points and not getting lost in the minor details (because I often find myself focusing on the less important points). One new technique I will utilize outside of class is creating mind maps to help make connections between material. These tips will allow me to better my studying skills in the future.