Coming into college being a kid who didn’t normally have to study very hard in order to attain the grades I wanted, its been a tough and very eye opening first year so far. In high school most of my learning was done in the classroom where there were no computers or cell phones distractions, just pure teaching and learning. We would have a full schedule every day from eight in the morning until three in the afternoon. In college you have class two to three times a week and most classes you can bring your laptop and just surf the web the entire class instead of actually listening to the lecture. (I’m sure I’m not the only one guilty of doing this.) I think this is the downfall of my college career so far. I think one of the things that made high school so easy was that there was really no other option but to listen and learn the information in class because you would have homework that night or your teacher would be actively asking random students questions which forced you to pay attention which left little studying to do at home since all the material was learned at school. At college I feel that I must teach myself the material and study it all at the same time which is difficult and demanding. Just studying is sometimes tough in the first place, but when you don’t even know the material you are studying it can make it a lot tougher. Ultimately I believe that I am learning to cut out the distractions in my classes in college and go back to high school mentality of learning in class and paying attention so that later on studying isn’t so hard and getting an A on a test is a possibility!
3 thoughts on “Learning and Studying”
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I definitely agree with this blog as well as the additional comments. I think studying in high school was completely different than the type and amount of studying required to succeed in college. I especially agree with the comment that stated how much laptops, phones, and other devices can be such a huge distraction to learning during class. It significantly reduces the amount of information that is retained and can make it must more difficult to recall when reviewing your notes for the exam. The amount of studying and the amount of time you study for a particular exam dramatically increased when I came to college. I am a science major and this quickly became evident to me my freshman year. As we learned in class, it is best to study for a few hours a day over a course of time, rather than studying multiple hours for a couple days in a row.
I definitely understand how you feel. First going into college the amount of distractions I had in front of me was insane; not just me on my computer and phone but those around me. I learned the hard way that how much you pay attention in class can really effect your grade. Like you mentioned, I too would study but because I didn’t pay attention in class had no idea what to study. Studying became a task that wasn’t just review but basically teaching myself the last few weeks of classroom information in a matter of hours (not the smartest choice). Now after those experiences I realize the importance of not being distracted in class. Paying attention can really cut back your study time and ultimately won’ t cost you any extra time. Learning about the effective ways to study during class was really helpful and reinstated that that cutting distractions is really important.
I can completely understand your dilemma! Coming to such a fast paced university like Penn State really tests your abilities and dedication as a student. Especially when you have three exams in a week and all you want to do is take a nap. However, I find that I learn best when I write down what the professor SAYS as opposed to what they have written down. Professors often say things aloud that will more than likely end up on the exam, even if it isn’t in the notes. I couldn’t tell you how many times my classmates have complained about a question I knew the answer to, simply because I didn’t copy from the notes.