Student Life

7 Steps to Academic Success

7 Steps to Academic Success

1. Learn to Prioritize 

You will learn something very quickly when you get to university: not all homework is created equal. Generally, exams, essays, labs and reports are worth a much higher percentage of your grade than smaller tasks such as readings or participation. 

Accordingly, you should allocate an appropriate amount of time to each type of assignment you have depending how much it will be weighted towards your overall grade.

                                                                2. Find Your Ideal Study Spot...and bring headphones!

Everybody needs something a little bit different to thrive while they’re studying. Some fav spots of my friends and I include Rez room desks, Rez common rooms, libraries, empty classrooms on campus (great for group work), coffee shops, or outdoor tables during warm months - try out a few and see what works best for you. Also, don’t forget your headphones! Campus can be a noisy place so it’s always nice to be able to lock in. 

 3. Make an “Assignments” List 

One of the most helpful things you can do at the start of your semester is make an “assignments list.” This one is pretty simple and it will make your semester less stressful, I promise! All it takes is going through each course syllabus and writing down the names and due dates of all your assignments on a document altogether. Once they are all on there, organize them by due date. 

This way, you can visualize the linear progression of your semester and plan ahead when you should start working on all your upcoming tasks. 

4. Don’t be Afraid to Ask for Help

First Year is a huge transition. If you are struggling with your academics, which most people do, the worst thing you can do is try to push through it alone. A great place to start is meeting your professor or TA to go over where you are struggling. 

Not only does this help you, but it also shows the people marking your work that you care. If you are too nervous to approach a professor, or don’t want to be a “keener,” you can also reach out to a friend who knows their stuff to explain concepts to you. And, of course, you can always #studywize.

5. Go to Class...and take Notes!

You will hear a lot of people in university bragging about how little they go to class. However, it’s good to keep in mind that those will be the same people crying on the floor of your Rez building when midterms come around (unless they use Wize*). The best thing you can do to avoid this is attend class and take good notes. 

 6. Explain a Concept to a Friend

Sometimes, it can be difficult to gauge whether you “know” a concept, or you KNOW a concept (like, really know it). One of the best ways to find out is to put on your teacher’s cap and explain that concept to a friend - starting at the most simple level and eventually trying to explain it with as much detail as possible. 

If your friend can follow along and understand what you’re talking about, then that concept should be a breeze on your exam :) If you’re having trouble organizing your thoughts about that subject, then you know it’s worth dedicating more time to studying it. 

 7. If You Struggle, Don’t Stress

Don’t pay attention to your friends complaining about the difference between their 95% and 99%...they are existing on a different planet than the rest of us mere humans. It is BY FAR the norm for students to struggle academically in first year and experience a significant grade drop off, especially first semester. 

The worst thing to do in this situation is stress unnecessarily. Remember, there will always be people doing better than you and people doing worse than you. First year university isn’t the end of the world, keep your head held high, you have Wize to help you along the way. 

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