College Tips - Blog Posts

Here's the one piece of uni advice I'll ever give: enjoy something about everything you do. There's gotta be one aspect, one Thing you like. Make it. Create it. I myself really enjoy writing with my fountain pen. It's smooth and feels liquid as I go. Really improves this note-taking business. You might like listening to very specific music as you walk to lecture. Buy a fancy lipstick. Wear it to seminars. Bam. Better mood. Paint your nails before a presentation. Wear those uber-comfortable socks you have. Find nice background vibes. Remove layers of hate from something hateable.

Hey guys! DON’T read the following tweets.

Like don’t. I’m not advocating for you guys to have access to materials not many can afford.

Don’t use any of these sites while I’m you’re in school.

Because let’s be honest, you should not have access to information

Like I said, don’t share this. Don’t get this out there to help a student.

tips for college classes that nobody tells you

1. don’t load your hardest classes in one semester. find out which classes within your major are rumored to be tough and divide them out throughout your time in college.

2. don’t show up to class earlier than 10 mins early. the class before yours will likely still be in there finishing up, and you’ll either walk in in the middle of a lecture or have to stand outside for a long time. just get there 5-10 mins early and you’ll be fine!

3. create a group chat for all of your classes. find a few friends from class and make a group chat! this can be either on imessage, groupme, or whatever is most popular to use at your school. this can be your go-to place to ask questions about assignments, due dates, etc. before asking the professor!

4. as for class participation, quality>quantity. in most college classes (with the exception of huge lectures) participation accounts for a chunk of your grade, and some professors take that grade very seriously. however, this doesn’t mean you should raise your hand and talk whenever you find the opportunity- your professor (and your classmates, for that matter) will appreciate you much more if your comments and questions are less frequent and have more to add to the class. 

5. the readings listed under a date in a class are due for that class, they are not homework for the next class. this is one of the biggest issues college freshman have at the beginning of their first semester. unless the professor specifically says otherwise, if the syllabus is set up to list each class individually with the readings underneath/beside the class, they are due for that class, not the next one.

6. make yourself known to your professor! this is especially important for a large lecture, where they won’t get to know you otherwise. stop by their office hours or go up to them after class and introduce yourself- making a connection with your professor can open more doors than you may know!

7. rate my professor is not always accurate. professors can get better or worse, and different people have different experiences. though it’s a great tool and you can still use it to see what people think, if you’re stuck with a professor that is ranked low, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have a bad time in that class.

8. sometimes it’s okay to just skim your readings. you’ll find out soon enough if your professor basically goes over exactly what the reading says every class. if so, you only need to skim it over and take light notes. don’t spend hours closely reading a textbook that your professor is just going to go over word for word the next day (unless it helps you- if so, do it!)

9. the guy in class that answers every question isn’t smarter than you. that’s it.

10. if you come from a lower income area or a worse school district than your peers, you may be playing the “catch up game” for a while. it’s okay! i personally go to a college where most students here come from wealthy families across the world and were sent to the best high schools possible. if you, like me, come from a mediocre public school, you may feel like you’re a beat behind your peers when it comes to background knowledge. don’t give up. work hard, you’ll catch up with them soon. (also- they aren’t smarter than you just because they had better opportunities than you did growing up. at the end of the day, you ended up at the same college)

Start Studying For Finals NOW

The semester has hardly started and you think it's already a good idea to start studying for finals?

I think its a good idea to avoid the panic looming at the end of the semester. I don't need a crystal ball to predict the posts on Facetumblinstatwitter - students stressing about what grade they need on the final to pass their class rather than actually studying. In attempt to snuff this distress I have a few proven habits if used throughout the whole semester will make finals week more zen.

1) Office Hours

As intimidating as the master behind your grade may seem the value of visiting your professor during office hours well outweighs the fear. Sometime not even the internet has the answer to your problems. After exhausting the knowledge of your friends, teaching assistant, and solutions manual studying can feel hopeless. Professors can often detect when your thinking is heading in the right direction and how to help you out if you are completely lost. Remember that they want you to succeed as long as you are willing to put in the effort.You can get the most out of office hours by trying the problem first, and coming up with question beyond "I don't get it". It is obvious when you are putting forth your best verses just fishing for an answer.

2) Optional Homework Is Mandatory Homework

Don't be fooled by a professor's modern teaching ideologies of "graded homework is a waste of time". Even if the professor assigns optional practice problems for your success in the class "optional" in professor speak means"mandatory". Why not become as comfortable with the material as possible? Understanding concepts a little at a time is much more manageable then cramming at the end of the semester.

3) Allocate Study time

Studying for courses between classes and attending your weekly study group may seem like enough time was dedicated. After recollecting the number of times you checked twitter you realize not a lot of studying went on. Printing out a copy of your class schedule and blocking out time strictly for studying will help you visualize how much time is needed. Two hours of study time should be dedicated for every credit you have per week. As a full time student of 12 hours that would be 24 hours of studying a week. As an engineering student with a 12 hour course load you square it and get 144 hours of studying (just kidding). If focusing for longer than the duration of a Spongebob episode is difficult for you consider using the 50/10 study rule. Study for a solid 50 minutes and then take a 10 minute break (not the other way around).

4) Take Useful notes

While attending lectures (and not sleeping in) be mindful of what you jot down. Will you be able to decipher your chicken scratch by finals week? Reconsider what will be useful to write down as a homework reference and what to underline for review during finals. Take advantage of presentations and notes professors posts online so you can record only what's most important to you. As the only person in your study group with legible notes you have rights to charge a Chipotle burrito tax every time they want to copy them.

college tips from someone who survived their first year, and got themselves off of academic probation

study every day ( reread your notes, run through your flashcards)

it helps to avoid cramming around finals season

do assignments when you get them, it doesn't matter that its not due until the end of the semester, you will forget, you will get busy, you will get caught up with doing something else so do it when you get it, so you won't have to worry about it later

don't study in your bed, its a bad habit, it will make it harder to study and make it harder to sleep

go out at least once a month, to a party, to a club, on a late night walk

carry a knife if its legal ( not just for safety reasons)

join class group mes

go to office hours, even if you don't need to, lie and say you didn't understand something so the professor knows your name

its okay to skip a class occasionally, just never two in a row, and don't make it a habit

College Packing Tips from a College Student

So I know COVID has prevented A Lot of us from going to college, or we just chose to not attend college. And that’s fine!!! You do you boo!!! In case you are, in fact, going to college this year and happen to be moving into a dorm (this also applies to moving into a new apartment) here are some tips for packing (and what to pack) when moving in. 

- pack a small bag for stuff you’ll need when you immediately arrive. This means disinfectant wipes, a mop/broom, paper towels, and command hooks if you happen to be needing them (you will, idc what you think, you will need them)

- bring command hooks!!!!! a lot of college dorm don’t allow nails in the walls for hanging things. I can already hear people saying they don’t need to be hanging any decorations and ooooohhhh boy you are in for a treat. Winter gear???? You want your coat on a heap on the floor???? towel???? you want the thing you dry your beautiful body with on the dirty ass floor????? bring command hooks coward

- wash your dishes before you get there. I know this isn’t possible in every situation, but if you can, wash your dishes/travel mugs/tupperware before you move in. one less thing you have to do 

- speaking of which, you will never have enough tupperware. you think I’m kidding??? I’m not. you bring that shit everywhERE you go, and you smuggle as much food as you can because your ass is paying for that, and by god, you will get your money’s worth

- communicate 👏 with 👏your 👏roommate(s) 👏 and this applies to apartments too. who’s bringing the mini-fridge?? who’s got the microwave??? are you having those in your dorm?? do they go to bed before or after 11pm??? comm👏un👏i👏cate

- bring,,,and extra,,,,,set,,,,of,,,,everything. towels, sheets, pillows, do it. yes it means a little more room in your bags, but pleaaaaseeee do it

- you will never have enough kitchen towels. I mean it. you will use those little shits for everything. wiping down a spilled drink, dusting, oven mitts, everything. I used them to wrap breakable things in my other bags

- I can’t believe I have to say this, but bring,,, shower,,,,shoes. If you are in a communal bathroom, there are probably dozens of college students using that same bathroom,,,,do you want foot fungus???? I didn’t think so

- door stop!!! sometimes dorm rooms don’t have these, always a good idea

- if you live in the north like me, and winter is a thing that happens for 6 months, think about bringing a shoe mat/tray for your boots. Doesn’t have to be a big one, but those boots are gonna be tracking in so much salt and snow and dirt, you want to put them somewhere

That’s everything I can think of off the top of my head, but please please please feel free to add more!!! stay safe!!!!! bring masks!!!!!!