With the term under way, there are some things you need to do before the semester really ramps up with assignments, tests, and exams. Here are a couple tips to help you before things get hectic.
Get on top of your school work
During the first few weeks of the semester you will most likely have very little school work due. For some of you, this might be the time to kick back and relax until school gets hectic. Instead, this extra time should used to get organized and to stay on top of your school work. Go over your notes and lecture slides after your classes so you can have a better understanding of the course material from the start. If you were able to do this, when it comes time to do assignments or write mid-terms, you will not have to take as much time to re-learn all the stuff you were taught earlier in the course.
Figure out and do the required readings
We all know that feeling of going to your courses and the professor wants you to buy a textbook for your class. You go and buy a two-hundred dollar textbook to not even open it once. Sometimes the textbooks are required and worth getting, but you will want to find this out. You can ask classmates who took the course previously to see if they needed the textbook for the class. If you have determined that the textbook is needed for the course, but you don’t have the money to buy it, you have a few options. The first is to look at the used book store. The used book store on campus could have the exact book you need or a previous edition of it. Buying used textbooks, be it the current edition or a previous one, will be much less expensive than buying a brand new one. You may also want to consider e-textbooks or online rental options. Additionally, there might be a copy on-reserve at the university library, which would allow you do complete your readings there without purchasing the textbook. If there is a required textbook for the course, make sure to follow these tips for making notes from textbooks. Stay on top of your required readings from the start of the term so these don’t pile up when it is mid-term season and you find out you are going to be tested on them.
These are just a couple tips to help you get on track for the semester ahead. Be sure to post your tips too!