by Michelle Martini

Created on: August 28, 2008   Last Updated: September 10, 2009

College IS easy if you know how to study. I know this to be true because the truth is that I didn't know how to study when I entered college. It took me hours to read and understand some of my college material at first. I was easily distracted by other students and parties, and I couldn't understand why it was so easy for other people to do it all. College requires a student to juggle studying, socializing, playing sports, and going on dates. At first I was so overwhelmed with all the studying that college requires I wasn't sure I could balance it all.

COLLEGE IS MORE DIFFICULT THAN HIGH SCHOOL!
Entering college woke me up to the fact that college is very different from high school. I was mistaken when I thought I could breeze through college like I did in high school. The workload in colleges is just staggering, especially when compared to public high schools! There is also a high level of critical thinking necessary for success in college. The average college freshmen is not used to this rigorous academic challenge and therefore it must be learned through process. The beginning of college also means more responsibility...

COLLEGE ISN'T AS COMFORTABLE AS HIGH SCHOOL!
Studying isn't the only new responsibility in college. Quickly I learned that I missed the privacy of my own room! I missed my mother's constant cooking! I missed having time for TV every night. I missed my family keeping me on schedule, and I sure missed sleeping! College is completely different than high school because it requires a lot of new responsibilities. Studying is just one of many new responsibilities in college and sometimes gets buried under new social pressures, meetings many new faces, facing tough professors, and missing home.

STUDYING IS NECESSARY!
Most importantly, I learned that studying is necessary for success in college. College courses require texts to be read before attending class. They often also require intensive reports, labs, online discussions, group projects, and presentations. I had to learn what "studying" really means! Studying is reading, reviewing, memorizing, conceptualizing, reporting, and remembering. College can be easy only if a student knows how to study well (and all the time!).

STUDYING MUCH BE SCHEDULED AND SOCIAL!
After realizing that studying CAN NOT BE OPTIONAL, I made a schedule. I gave myself a lot of time to study. I utilized hours between classes, lunch hours I ate alone, and breaks between social events. I joined study groups for areas I struggled in (Spanish!) and I spent social time with classmates reviewing material. Studying just can't be done completely alone or put off. The studying process is much more pleasant when enjoyed with others. I met great friends this way and with those friends we were able to keep each other on track.

Once I improved my study skills, college became a lot easier for me, but it's a process that each college freshmen has to learn on his/her own!

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