How to get in the zone and prosper
Getting accustomed to different styles of university learning is a task that often takes some time to master. It is not something that happens overnight, and it requires some dedication, but learning these skills now will help you in each course taken over the next four years.
The University of Guelph’s McLaughlin Library houses The Learning Commons and consists of an abundance of helpful guides and tips to make you successful in your undergraduate career. The Learning Commons has a guide available online entitled “A Guide for University Learning,” which gives students helpful information on adapting to the change of university studies. The categories it touches upon are things such as: learning from course outlines, textbooks, lectures, how to study, and how to take exams. Each one of these categories is extremely important to successfully completing your degree to the best of your ability. Each step is critical to keeping on track and understanding the complexity and different elements that go along with doing well at university.
This is the time to do the best you can. You are entirely responsible for the outcome of these next four years – no one is going to be reminding you that assignments are due, what readings are to be done and by which date, or how much your essay is worth. It is up to you to become familiar with your course outlines and to keep track of what is happening in each of your classes, so keep organized! The earlier you begin, the easier it will be. Once this becomes a habit, you will be able to keep up to date on your school schedule, and you will thank yourself later for doing this.
Once you have become familiar with course outlines, plan out a schedule for yourself – use a calendar, and take the first week of classes to organize yourself and become situated with the tasks you need to work on throughout the semester. It is best to plan your schedule out in its entirety and then break it down week by week and day by day. Figure out what needs to get accomplished; take time and go through each course outline. It may seem overwhelming at first, and it is a lot to take in at once, but there is no better way to keep yourself in reality and ready for what is coming next.
University-style learning is very different from what you may be accustomed to from high school – there isn’t much guidance unless you yourself go and look for it. Much of the work you will be doing here is independent, and the pressure is on you and you alone to figure it out and do well. Although there will be times when this all seems worrisome, think about the bigger picture, no matter how difficult it may be. The amount of knowledge you will gain being here and being accountable for yourself is the best life lesson you could ever learn.
Find what works for you – take this period to adapt to your new surroundings, get used the structure of your course load, and move into taking action for yourself. These are some of the most challenging but best years of your life. It’s your time, so make the most of it and challenge yourself to be the best you can be.