Dear incoming freshmen,
Congratulations! You have survived the beginning of college, which for many is the hardest part. I hope you are taking some time to find your footing and enjoy the new atmosphere—few scenes are as magnificent as Samford Hall on a sunny day.
More importantly, I hope you haven’t begun to stress over your new courses. Yes, undergraduate academics are difficult, but you are prepared for the challenge; Auburn accepted you for a reason.
Over my three years in college, I have picked up a few tricks that make for easier, more efficient studying. I have compiled the most useful ones here, with the hope they will help you adapt quickly.
1. Make it interesting
Imagine your favorite hobby. Think of how much you know about it and how eager you are to know more.
Wanting to learn about a topic makes doing so easy and leads to more effective studying.
For example, I love organic chemistry (weird, I know). I would read my course’s textbook for fun, and find myself daydreaming about the behavior of electrons. Consequently, I performed well in the class, even though it felt as if I barely studied.
Contrarily, I detest biochemistry. My friend and I would spend hours studying for tests in the library, but I consistently underperformed. It is clear now that my approach was flawed. I just memorized every word from my professor’s slideshows, failing to comprehend any of the content. I also spent a great deal of time complaining.
Similarly, when my literature professor assigned poetry readings, I reacted with aversion. I felt I was incapable of locating hidden meaning and themes within the genre. But unlike the last example, this time I made a sincere attempt to engage with the material. In doing so, I grew enthralled with the work of Robert Burns, received high marks on an essay covering it and developed an interest in poetry as a whole.
By assuming a subject is worth studying, you allow yourself to approach it seriously. Your desire to learn will enhance your focus; as a result, you will grasp material at a faster rate and on a deeper level than previously possible. Moreover, you might find unexpected pleasure in the subject matter.
Obviously, there will be topics that you simply hate. No amount of effort will change that. If this is the case, find some way to reward yourself for studying—maybe by watching an episode of your favorite show, or reading a chapter of a good book. Do anything that gives you the motivation to continue, within reason.
2. Avoid Memorization When Possible
I cannot emphasize this point enough.
Although simple, memorizing material is often inefficient. College courses test students on vast amounts of content; committing everything to memory would be needlessly arduous, and perhaps impossible.
Instead, you should approach any new problem with common sense.
At the beginning of my Physics I course, I tried to remember the exact steps my professor used to solve problems. However, applying these on exams led me to incorrect answers, due to slight variations in the questions. Such differences would have been obvious if I took some time to think, but I was too lazy to do so. Eventually I began using my real world experience to analyze physics problems: "If an object isn’t moving, of course the net force on it is zero! If an object is floating, of course something is pushing it up!"
As a result, my scores improved.
Admittedly, this tip is better suited to physics than other memory-intensive subjects, such as biology and history, but it can be effective in all disciplines.
My world history professors, for example, emphasized the importance of examining past events with respect to their broader context, not just as a series of facts.
So, when learning the chronology and details of World War II, it is important to consider the objectives of each party. Germany was a fascist state, whose leaders desired expansion, whereas the European allies wished to avoid conflict at all costs, in light of the Great Depression and World War I.
From this information, one could guess that Germany would make an instigating move, which they did in their invasion of Poland. Further, it seems rational that the United States would abstain from intervening, due to their geographic separation from the conflict. Since America ultimately joined the war effort, it makes sense that something as grave as the bombing of Pearl Harbor occurred. Simple logic like this allows one to promptly learn and keep track of complex details.
Obviously, the above train of thought required some background knowledge about WWII. That said, once you learn the basic context of the conflict—who was involved, what each country wanted, where it took place, how it ended—its specifics are easier to grasp, and piecing them together is less of a challenge.
At times memorization will be necessary. But don’t assume that it is the only approach, or the most effective. Our brains did not evolve to house a bunch of separate facts; they are better equipped to consolidate lots of information into concise narratives.
Considering all the material you’ll be given, it is crucial that you minimize your cognitive load.
3. Expect Setbacks
It is possible to get through college without any academic shortcomings.
Nevertheless, doing so is difficult, and you shouldn’t assume that you will. Not only is college demanding; it is unpredictable. Some weeks you may have multiple exams and insufficient time to study. There is no way around this. Maybe you can pull a miraculous all-nighter, in which you successfully cram enough information in your head to do well. But a day might come where you can’t.
In this case, your response is crucial. If you expect to ace every exam, a bad grade might ruin you. I’ve seen this happen to many of my classmates, who resigned themselves to failure under such circumstances.
If you are prepared for adversity, however, you can find a way to make the best of a bad situation. Last semester, I bombed—and that’s an understatement—the second of four exams in one of my classes. With my score, I would’ve been lucky to finish the semester with a B. Still, I maintained my resolve and kept studying hard. My professor later announced that he would drop each student’s lowest exam grade, and because of this, I was able to improve my C to an A in the final two weeks of the semester—barely.
Of course, I benefited from good luck, the likes of which are unusual. Even if your effort is not rewarded, and it often won’t be, you can be proud of your resilience and use it to motivate you in future semesters.
4. Work in YOUR Ideal Environment
Throughout my life, my teachers and mentors have stressed the importance of not procrastinating. The earlier you start, the better your outcome will be, they claimed. I rarely listened, and lost many hours of sleep as a result.
On a few occasions when I faced countless deadlines, I started preparing for exams weeks in advance. And surprisingly, my performance suffered.
For me, getting the jump on my work is ineffective. When an exam is far away, I don’t take my studies seriously because they seem irrelevant at that moment. Consequently, I don’t learn material as thoroughly as usual, and I neglect to review it later out of laziness. On exam day I realize that I effectively know nothing, and I quickly return to my old, procrastinating ways.
All of this is to say that everyone learns differently. Many of my friends follow strict schedules and excel because of them. But that doesn’t work for others, who might perform best under pressure.
If you focus best with music, study with music. If you prefer learning in groups, study with friends. If you are susceptible to distraction, like me, move your phone to another room, and study in a quiet environment. Keep things simple.
I find it tiresome when self-proclaimed experts impose a singular, purportedly optimal method of studying on everyone.
"But psychology says we learn best when we study early, then review, then study more, then review, then review what we missed in the previous review..." or something along those lines.
This may be true, but my psychology says I hate reviewing, and almost everyone I know lacks the time to practice such nonsense. Once in college you will quickly learn what works for you. Stick to it, and make rational changes when necessary; certainly don’t alter your entire approach if it brings you success.
5. Most Importantly, Don’t Lose Yourself to Your Studies
In reality, college places an excruciating amount of pressure on students. There are always exams to study for, projects to complete, internships to fight over, graduate schools to apply to, meetings to attend and myriad other obligations to fulfill. The threat of failure is relentless.
Contrary to what you may think, your well-being is more important than all of these matters. Four years of academic success means nothing if you hate your life.
To be sure, you will sometimes have to sacrifice immediate pleasure for your long-term benefit. Nonetheless, you cannot spend your entire life in this mindset, chasing an ideal future at the expense of your present, when no such future exists. By the time you finally reach one goal, 20 others will have arisen, and you will remain in the same hopeless pursuit, with no evidence of progress.
More important than anything else is that you enjoy your journey. Be dedicated, have lofty ambitions, but through it all, remember who you are working for: YOU. When your desires change, adjust your path accordingly.
Nothing is more foolish than giving up your happiness for a future you no longer want. I arrived in Auburn with the goal of one day attending med school; but I quickly began to loathe my classes. Still, I continued on that path for two years, because I “made a promise to myself.” What self was I even referring to? Whoever it may have been, he died long before that point.
At the end of my sophomore year, I finally woke up and changed majors. I am much happier now, and my old self has never bothered to haunt me for my dishonesty.
To combat the stress that comes with school, pick a field you enjoy and make time for who and what you love. This foundation will guide you through adversity and bring you a wealth of meaningful experiences.
You have all the qualities necessary for success. Trust yourself.
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