- study habits: For each class my studying time varies depending on what assignments I have due for each class and based on level of importance. Usually I study about an hour each day for chem lecture and lab, lab I usually spend time going over the next lab I have coming up and then studying my materials and discussion questions. For history I am very bad about studying because I always find myself doing the reading and then not reviewing it at all, but I need to get better about that. For sociology I spend about an hour or two every Tuesday and Thursday studying in order to retain the information we’ve learned in class that day. Yes, my grades are all pretty good but could be better. My lowest grade at the moment is sociology which is an 86, and I am not satisfied with that. But in general my grades do reflect the amount I study. If I put more time into studying my grades would definitely be even better, which I need to work on since Dental Hygiene is one very competitive major. Yes I definitely do need to put more time into studying, mostly for History, Sociology, and Chemistry. If I studied harder in these classes then I would have A’s instead of having two or three high B’s. I study mostly at home or in the library with friends because I need alone time to study time but studying in small groups also helps me a lot as well. I constantly find myself distracted while studying but in order to focus back in I usually chew gum and listen to quiet classical music, which helps me retain information better. I am most focused and alert during the middle of the day, but I usually end up studying at night or early morning before classes.
2. Learning style: Some study techniques I use are mostly all old ones that I have been using my whole career as a student. These include flashcards, highlighting and annotating notes and reviewing important definitions and vocabulary words. I haven’t tried a new technique just due to the fact that I have not gotten around to it or thought about any new ones to try. I also make sure I study in small increments of time in order to retain more and that way I don’t have to cram a lot of information in one study session. The specific study techniques that work best for me are flashcards, highlighting, watching videos, and simply reading my notes. My study techniques vary from class to class a huge amount. For instance, in chemistry I mostly use flashcards and Quizlet online in order to memorize the periodic table rules and other memorization stuff, whereas for history I annotate the readings and highlight the important details that I think might possibly be on a future quiz or exam.
3. Transition to college: College has somewhat been what I expected but also has surprised me in certain aspects. I thought it would be a lot harder and that I would be struggling much much more, and it has been hard but not overwhelmingly difficult. People are also much nicer and less clique-esque than high school, but at the same time there is still some petty drama in my friend group right now. I am also surprised the friendships I made in high school have not lasted this far. My favorite thing about campus is the library because it is a convenient spot to get something to eat and then study and it is open 24 hours. It is big, has lots of offices for help and tutoring, and it has comfy seating to sit and do homework or study in. My toughest challenge has been waking up for my 8 ams, since I am a commuter I have to wake up much earlier than most, and it is very difficult especially since I enjoy sleeping.
4. Connecting to campus: I have experienced a problem with my card not working so I had to go to the card center and get a new one and now it usually works to swipe into class, but it also sometimes still does not work. Another problem I have encountered this semester is my difficulty understanding what’s going on in chemistry, but I haven’t gone to tutoring yet, which I told myself I will be doing very soon. My close friends Sarah and Toni have been helping me with my homework and just studying in general and they have helped me through a lot so far here at ODU. They have helped me with assignments when I need it, studied with me, and just been there for emotional support. I have attended an interest meeting, as I am the president of the ODU figure skating club, but other than that I have not gone to any other clubs interest meetings.