Sunday, April 21, 2013

Dear Freshman-to-Be Sister | Your First Bombed Test

I can tell from your Tweets, Instagram'd photos and Facebook updates that you are excited for MIZZOU. Well sister, Social Media and excitement put you off to a good start as far as succeeding in this ZOU *pun*. I'd like to give you a few other tips so when you come to school next year, you'll know everything I didn't.

I was going to make this a single post. But, I’ve been adding to it for three months now, so I’m just going to make this a series of blog posts to introduce and prepare you for college at Mizzou next year.

Now, don't think this means you've got it easy. I had to learn all of these thing (and much, much more) and I think that's part of the experience. As I look back on my year, I joke with my friends that all I learned in college was how to procrastinate and B.S. But also, I think you learn to learn...which is probably the most valuable, under-appreciated skill that most people don't even recognize is happening. So that's really what this letter is about, learning. Not just boring ol' school stuff; be ready to learn from your mistakes and learn from your friends. Cheesy, I know. But even after I tell you these things, you'll still have a lot to learn. LOVE that experience. It makes you better prepared for the real world...I hope?

The following posts will teach you how to learn from various mistakes and situations that will arise over the next four years of your life. As you’ll see, they are quite detailed.


HOW TO LEARN FROM...
...Your first bombed test.

Turns out, high school was kind of joke. Apparently in college, they want you to like READ textbooks (and they want you to read a LOT of them) and study your notes and heaven-forbid, apply what you learned in a comprehensive essay question! Here is what I (try) to do:

a - Attend class. It's harder than you think. And just sitting in class while Pinning every cute outfit doesn't count, though God knows I spend most of my time doing that. You really need to be engaged to learn. But, you'll learn how to make up for it when you aren't.

b - Find a friend in your class, or make one. You are going to miss class or mishear your foreign professor and it really helps to have an extra set of notes when you start making your study guide. You don't have to be besties, you just need to know that you can both benefit from the other and take advantage of that.

c - Take good notes. First thing you're going to learn is about Word Notebook Layout. It's kind of a fancy way to take notes organized with tabs and in a simple outline format. Bonus, you can record audio...though, I've never needed it. I don't necessarily worry about taking notes in their best form, just focus on being sure you have all the information and keep on top of when you miss notes.

d - Do the readings? I'm gonna be honest with you. I have probably read a total of like 4 inches (mom will appreciate this measurement) worth of textbooks. I've probably been assigned like 4 feet of textbooks. You just have to learn to skim. When you're in a hurry, skip the stories or example of concepts you already understand. They say to do the readings before class, but if you wait and do it after, you can use the lecture notes as a kind of guide to understanding what you really need to know. Because that's what every professor will tell you: You need to come to lecture and do all the readings, but it's the over-lap that will be on the test. If they say it class and you read it in the book, know it.

e – Know when exams are coming. It’s good to know that exams come in groups. You’ll hear the term “First Rounds” used to define the week of the semester when you have the first exam in most of your classes. Sometimes they’re on the same day, which is a bummer, but even so, you’ll make it work. Most classes have three exams and a final. Or just three exams, with the third being during finals week, but not over cumulative material. This being said, it helps to write each of your tests, for each of your classes in your planner as soon as you know the dates (provided in the syllabus). Then, look ahead to upcoming weeks so you can plan to prepare for tests. If you have two tests in one day and another the next day, you need to put in a little more preparation time and be sure you don’t make other obligation for that week.

f - Make a study guide. These aren't like high school study guides, and depending on the class, you may not even get one. But most classes will give you some kind of guide listing the key concepts you'll need to understand. Then, I go through my notes and textbooks plugging in all the required information. This is when I focus on the organization. I actually love making study guides. I have often thought I would accept payment to turn other student's notes into SGs. But, if you'll notice. I like to use my own outline form. I find lists are easiest to memorize (or "learn" as professors think we should be doing). As I'm creating the SG, I focus on putting everything into words that I understand, not just what the professor says exactly.

g - Study. UGH, the worst. Two ways to do this: 1) team up with that friend I told you to make at the beginning of the semester, or 2) be self-motivated and study solo. I like to take a highlighter to the SG as a walk through it the first time: one color for the term, another for the definition; one color for the title of the list, another for the listed items. Then I just go...

**When you know you will have comprehensive essay questions, it is most beneficial (and kind of annoying) and essential to practice writing out your answers. Determine what you think the essay questions will be, and write out your answer over and over until you can do it by hear. Practice using the terminology that you KNOW professors will want you to use, too!

Yeah, but where should I study? Great question, Bec!

Top Five MIZZOU Study Spots:
1. The basement of the Student Center (also good for between-class, on-campus napping)
2. A single desk, down a secluded aisle, in a quiet section of Ellis Library
3. Sorority study room (depending on the house I'm sure)
4. Upstairs in the Student Center after 5:00 p.m. (if you have a friend who can get you in)
5. The study rooms in the Res Halls (dorms, they call them Resident Halls here)

h - To cram or not to cram? Whether or not you want to, you will. But what's important is that you still find time to get a little sleep before the actual test. Interestingly enough, after running on 24 hours straight I think you'll find there is too much sleep. Weird. I know. But I find that three hours is enough so that you feel kind of rested, but not exhausted. It's something you'll figure out for yourself though.

i - Test time... Most are multiple choice, scantron, luckily. But sometimes you get a essay questions, as I addressed before. As much as you just want to pile everything you know into the answer and hope you've hit the answer somewhere, it is best to think for a minute as to what you really think the professor wants you to say. Sounds like something they would warn you against, but it's actually a good trick to help you keep your answers focused on one point. Don't forget to use those terms you practiced when you were studying!

But, your first bombed test isn’t the end of the world. And unfortunately, it’s probably not the last test you’ll bomb over the years. But there are always other exams and assignments that you can make up points with, and that’s just what you’ll figure out as you go. Most classes post grades pretty religiously to Blackboard, so you can monitor yourself throughout the semester and know if you are going to need to put in a little more work.

Tests aren't fun, but you’ll survive them!
Good luck learning!

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