College Study Habits versus High School Study Habits - Essay Example

February 26, College Study Habits versus High School Study Habits High school tends to be about rote learning and extra-curricular activities for me, so my study habits then are not exactly commendable. In college, I have changed my study habits because college papers require more critical analysis, synthesis, and originality. As a college student, it is my responsibility to be more organized in how I study, so that I can learn more in class and get good grades. My criteria for comparison between my high school and college study habits are planning, procrastination, and school communication. I have better study in habits college because I plan my studying ahead of time, I no longer procrastinate, and I communicate with my teacher and peers regarding schoolwork, while in high school, I study only when there is an exam, I wait until almost deadline before writing, and I have communication anxiety with my teachers regarding schoolwork. I can do better with my college study habits by practicing more effective note-taking that fits my learning style as a visual learner and including study habits that can improve the originality of my writing. In high school, I do not plan ahead when studying, while in college, I schedule my studying activities. High school is more lax for me, where I study only when there are upcoming exams. As a high school student, my time is consumed through completing assignments, performing extra-curricular activities, and spending time with friends and family. College has changed my perspective in studying where I learned the role of planning to the efficient management of numerous class assignments and activities. I prepare myself for test days by seeing each piece of homework as an opportunity to study deeper. I study deeper through doing extra reading on the topic and asking and answering questions related to it. For example, in one of my classes, my teacher discussed writing strategies. I wanted to know more about punctuations that are used for rhetorical emphasis, so I studied that on my own. In order to study more comprehensively and intensively, I plan my studying schedule by breaking down reading materials and assigning specific dates and times for reading and note-taking. I already have a mobile application for scheduling my studying activities that even remind me an hour before of that activity. This application helps me organize schoolwork more efficiently. I organize my life now according to studying needs and not organize studying according to social life needs. Through these activities, I am mentally and psychologically prepared of my future studying activities and follow them more closely than before. Apart from planning my studying activities, I no longer procrastinate in doing my assignments in college, which I used to do as a high school student. In high school, I only do papers, or projects, a day or two before the deadline, except when the assignment is very complex and group-based. I found myself saying “Tomorrow I will do it” frequently before. Nowadays, I have a more organized approach to my assignments. Since I already plan my studying, I also plan my assignment-completion activities. For instance, I planned to make my English assignment this Friday and to do it from 8 to 10 PM. If I have research and annotated bibliography activities to do, I divide the work across the week or so, depending on the deadline. For example, if I have one month to finish an argumentative paper, I devote ten hours of the first week for research and resource summarizing, five to eight hours of the second week in making the first draft, five or more hours of the third week for doing the second draft, and five to eight hours of the fourth week for doing revisions, editing, and proofreading. Through scheduling particular research and writing stages, I am more able to complete a project, even if it needs reading and integrating numerous materials. My college study habit of planning the completion of assignments has greatly helped me finishing well-written papers on time and avoiding the feeling of rushing to finish the assignment. Aside from no longer procrastinating, I also communicate with my teacher and peers regarding schoolwork, which I did not do much in high school. High school teacher-student relationships tend to be quite hierarchical. I felt then that teachers are authority figures who cannot be questioned or approached for extra help. In college, this perception changed because of how college teachers promote open communication policies. I no longer have communication anxiety with my teachers regarding schoolwork. When I have questions regarding the curriculum, for instance, I usually approach teachers face-to-face than sending them e-mails. I am also no longer shy in asking them for feedback or clarifying their feedback on my papers. One of my college teachers once said: “We teachers are not here to say you are wrong. We are here to help improve your process of thinking and writing so that you can know when and why you are wrong and how you can make it right.” She inspired me to be open to teachers and to be more engaged in class discussions, so that I can also learn more from them and my classmates. In addition, I find peer or classmate feedback helpful in completing assignments and studying. When peers read my papers and provide useful criticism about the weaknesses of the paper, I become more aware of the audience of my writing and I have improved my writing because of that. Open communication among teachers and classmates is a helpful process in studying and completing assignments. While I have greatly improved my college study habits, I have areas for improvement, including effective note-taking. I am a visual learner who prefers using images, pictures, and maps to arrange information and communicate with others. My note-taking should be visual as well, filled with colors, images, and flow charts. Instead, I make scribbles that I sometimes forget the meaning of. Sometimes, I also just listen to lectures and presentations without taking notes. I should add more visual cues to my notes, so that I can study them later. For example, I can include flow charts that show the synthesis of concepts, arguments, or themes in related materials. I can also use diagrams that compare and contrast the meanings, claims, and use of evidence of texts. These are only examples of how note-taking can fit the visual learning style that I am more comfortable with. I also have a concern in studying for originality. I want to improve the originality of my writing, and I can also include a positive studying habit for it. I researched ways of enhancing creativity and some of them are brainstorming, free writing, and making cognitive maps. I should use these tools that can help me provide fresh ways of analyzing materials. I watched a YouTube video on creativity, and the speaker enlightened me about the foundations of creativity- space and humor. I should have my own space for studying, where I am free of distractions. Being free of distractions in our multimedia-Internet-advertisement-jam-packed-world seems impossible, but the idea of going media-less can be a great way of having peace of mind for boosting creativity. Also, adding humor in my studying habits is interesting. This can mean changing study routines by changing settings and adding a classmate or two, where the settings and people encourage happy thoughts and humorous ideas. When I feel down when studying, I should take a break and read jokes or watch funny video clips. These actions can de-stress me and prepare my mind for more original thoughts. My college study habits are more beneficial to learning and getting good grades than my high school habits because the former are focused on good planning, procrastination avoidance, and open school communication. These study habits help break down schoolwork and intends to have more time for learning without being bored of it. In addition, I also realized my areas of improvement in note-taking and creativity. Study habits, including evaluating them for their effectiveness in attaining academic goals, are crucial to an enjoyable college student experience because they turn complex tasks into manageable and pleasant activities. Read More