Tips on How to be a Good Student

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Let’s face it: College is tough and sometimes bad habits we start out with or develop do not make things any easier on us. Five upperclassmen who have been there, give tips on things they’ve learned that really make a difference in their education.

    Josie Hanna, junior, is a Communications major with an emphasis in Public Relations and Speech Communication. She states that she was originally a Biology major, however, she realized that it was not for her. “On a whim I decided to try out Communications because of my previous job experience at the State Fair of West Virginia and I fell in love. I’ve never been happier or felt like I understand the material and how to apply it to real world scenarios,” says Hanna. She believes that flashcards are essential when studying over material for classes. “I also like to take my book to class and highlight things that the professor mentions or if they give a specific example, I scribble it in the margins. The other thing that I do is vocabulary for the chapter before I go into class, that way I’m familiar with the terminology which tends to help with the context of the lectures,” she says. Hanna believes that physically writing out a schedule of her free time really helps to manage her spare time. “I also make sure to include times for other things like Netflix because if I don’t, I’m more likely to binge watch and do no homework at all.”

    James Kemp, senior, is a Geography major. Kemp describes it as “a field that studies many of my interests such as politics, culture, and the natural environment. There are also many well-paying careers in the field, and I like money,” he states. He says that one of the most important things for him to study over class material is the location. “I get too distracted by Facebook, Netflix, etc. if I try to study in my room. Going to places like the library’s study carrels puts me in the right mindset,” says Kemp. He believes that keeping a planner helps tremendously when trying to keep up with due dates. “I also had to learn to start on assignments as soon as possible, because procrastination brings more trouble than its worth,” states Kemp.

    Maizy Landreth, junior, studies Recreation and Tourism Management. Her love for traveling and desire to do something she enjoys has really influenced her major. “I spent a lot of time debating what I would do with it and all of my options seem enjoyable and lasting,” states Landreth. When reviewing class material, she also finds it necessary to use things like flashcards and rewriting notes to help understand the information. “College taught me the importance of really spending time to study long before a test or quiz. Using things like flashcards and making a point to rewrite my notes helps me solidify the information in my head. In the classroom, I typically tried to stay quiet and only speak when I had to. College taught me asking questions and being involved in class really helps keep my brain focus and become stimulated,” she states. Time management was difficult for Landreth at first and being overwhelmed and stressed a lot is really what it took for her to start planning and being organizing a week in advance.

    Hannah Suydam, senior, is a Communications major with an emphasis in Public Relations. Suydam also switched her major after deciding Psychology was not for her. “When I heard there was a major for talking I knew I had to try a class. Then I had Dr. Williams’s Interpersonal Communication [class] and it changed my life, I fell in love with the major and switched,” Suydam states. She suggests a variety of things when studying over class material. As a result of feeling overwhelmed when reading over an assigned chapter, she finds it best to read through class notes and then look through the book to read in detail of what the professors go over. “Make note cards if possible and use color coding! Use a planner to space out your studying,” she says. Bonner and planners have really helped her to manage her time. “I’ve always had a very busy schedule so keeping a planner and crossing things off as I go is a must. It’s too hard to remember it all in your head,” she states.

    Lindsay Thomas, senior, is a Chemistry major. Much like Hanna and Suydam, she switched her major as well. “I actually used to be a Psychology major and then I switched to Biology because I wanted something more challenging, [as] I took the chemistry classes, [I] found those to be more interesting so I switched to Chemistry. I picked it because it’s challenging, the subject interests me, and it forces me to work hard and test my limits.” When Thomas reads over her class material, she believes that preparation is extremely important. She says, “I learned that waiting until the last minute to study usually isn’t helpful, so I start to prepare at least a week in advance.” As she is prepping, she believes things like review sheets and applying the information is key to getting good grades. “Making review sheets has also been helpful for me in terms of summarizing the important information into one place. I also think it’s important to actually apply the information rather than simply try to memorize it. So being able to explain a concept to a friend can be a really helpful way to gauge how well you actually know the material,” she says.

    When discussing how she manages her time, she believes that finding a balance is what is most important. “Well I try to balance my time between studying and having fun. I’ve been through both extremes where I studied all the time and got burnt out and stressed because I wasn’t actually retaining the information. Then I’ve had times where I didn’t place any importance on studying and my grades would suffer for that. So I think it’s important to find a good balance, I prioritize studying but when I start to get burnt out, I take a break and do something I enjoy for a bit. [I then] find it’s easier to go back to studying and I can retain the information better,” says Thomas.