As we all head back to school, most are probably feeling a mixture of excitement and dread for the year to come – I know I am.
Warm summer air turns into a crisp fall breeze, and pool floats are traded out for textbooks.
Though we can’t stop the change from happening, we can get ourselves better prepared to take on the hectic workload we are bound to receive.
After the first week or so of school, things start to pick up. Professors warn to have your textbooks in-hand because the readings and assignments are about to begin.
Staying organized and creating good study habits is something I still struggle with, but starting from the very beginning makes things easier in the long run.
Getting yourself a calendar or planner is a great, simple way to keep yourself organized, as well as just making to-do lists. Marking off a thing at a time, whether it be a chore or assignment, can help you keep track of your progress and stay motivated.
Utilizing your free, school issued iPad with apps, such as Goodnotes is a way to have all of these things in one place. Goodnotes provides an endless amount of electronic paper and templates for planners, to-do lists, calendars and more.
This is also a much cheaper alternative to buying a new planner every year, or notebook for every class.
When it comes to studying, I’ve always been a person who learns from repetition, so flashcards are one of my favorite study methods when applicable.
But there are so many free study options on-campus that you should take advantage of.
The Study, open five days a week, offers drop-in peer tutoring for most math and science classes at UK. The Study has two locations on campus (north and central), the north campus location is on the first floor of Jewell Hall and the Central campus location is at The Boone Center.
This is a place I frequented freshman year and received lots of help, whether it be cramming for an exam, rushing to learn material, going over a step in lecture I didn’t quite understand, etc.
The Study employs students that have aced the class you are currently in and can provide much help/ advice on whatever you’re struggling with.
The Mathskeller is another great resource, located in Patterson Office Tower (POT). It’s also employed by students who have taken the class they are teaching you about, as well as teacher assistants (TA’s).
There are many other learning centers on campus for biology, astronomy, chemistry and writing.
The Writing Center, located in the basement of the William T. Young Library, can help you edit your papers and look over projects. But it is only one of several resources living in The Hub, the name given to the whirlpool of student resources in the basement of the library.
The Hub also contains the Student Media Depot and PresentationU, with the Student Media Depot you can reserve a podcast, green screen or presentation room, among many other things, and with PresentationU you can receive help with research papers, lab reports, portfolios and presentation practice.
With the tremendous amount of tuition, you are technically paying for all of these campus resources, so you might as well put them to use.
Sometimes staying at home to study with apps and going over notes is one of the easiest, time efficient ways, but having these different things readily available on campus is going to make your college life a little easier.
Just keep in mind this semester what’s there for you and use it to your benefit.
