university finals

College Advice: Things YOU Need to Know

~ samanthatran ~ Leave a comment

I’ve been planning on filming this video for such a long time and finally got around to it! Based on two years of being a college student; here is what I’ve learned and my advice to you:

These are the timestamps for what I mentioned and extra details:

0:22 Unassigned Assigned Seats
0:38 Save on Textbooks!!!
3:08 Getting Classes You WANT
4:42 Asking For Deadline Extensions
5:50 Class Attendance
6:25 Staying Organized

Textbook websites to check out:
http://www.abebooks.com
http://www.thiftbooks.com
http://www.chegg.com
http://www.amazon.com

Hope you learned something new today & here are THIINGS I FORGOT TO MENTION:
– Ratemyprofessor: Use this site to get a general idea of how your professor is, do not pay attention to love/hate, instead focus on constructive criticism or how the professor’s teaching style is.
– For textbooks: If the class is an integral part of your major, you might want to buy it instead of renting it so you can refer back to it when you need to. If it’s just a class you need for credits or something not directly related to your major, feel free to save more money by renting.

STRESSED OUT? – How to Get Back on Track

~ samanthatran ~ Leave a comment

*Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap…* It was the sound I heard from 6PM to 2AM yesterday night and the night before while typing out all of my essays that were due today.

To anyone who does not want to procrastinate; here are some things I did that helped me stay in focus and get sh*t done:

  • Map out everything your need to do for each class so nothing is forgotten and you can physically see what assignments are left.
  • Thomas Frank’s “Study With Me” video; he uses the 25/5 pomodoro studying technique and there’s a timer at the bottom of the screen.
  • Give your phone to someone who can hold onto it until you are done working on assignments. If you’re worried about missing anything important, have them periodically check your notifications for you.
  • Go old school and make flashcards to study and memorize important terms and concepts. If you don’t like handwriting things or prefer portability, make them using Quizlet and then review them on your phone between classes.

When I said all of my essays; I meant seven of them. Five were reflection papers based on what we went over in class and two of them were longer works; a midterm and a final paper. Why did I have to write so many essays in a short period of time? Because I hate myself. Just kidding, I love myself so much that I let myself avoid responsibilities for a while. After this, I swear I’m not going to procrastinate again…so I tell myself.

Good luck on your studies! x