The planning for a college education.
Tuition: $3,000
Meal plans: $1,598
Books: $500
Initial reaction to your bank account statement...priceless
It was difficult to get into college, but it’s harder to stay in college. Reason being? Books.
There are a lot of things that you have to pay before you come to school: tuition, room and board, meal plans, etc. But the one thing that I’ve found to be extremely expensive in college are textbooks.
They are one of the most important things that a student needs (besides caffeine, of course) and they seem to be one of the most difficult things to obtain simply because of their costs.
The first time that I signed up for classes, I registered for 16 credits. I ordered all of my books online and specifically asked for used books. To my surprise when I was ready to pay, the bill added up to $500.
Something that I found quite surprising since in high school, the books were given to us to borrow for the entire year...for free. I don’t think I ever bought a book while in high school and if I ever did, I definitely never spent $500 on them.
So why are college books so expensive?
Well, according to MakeTextbooksAffordable, a Web site that focuses on campaigning to reduce the costs of books, textbook prices are increasing because of the inflation rates in all the finished goods.
Not only that, but the cost of all of those shiny, new edition books we are required to have actually cost 45 percent more than the previously used editions.
So what are we poor college students supposed to do if we don’t want to be broke for the rest of our college careers, work three jobs, and still not have enough money for books or a life?
Well, here are some pointers on where to get books for cheap and how not to be broke because of them.
1. Don’t buy your books before the first day of classes. This is a classic mistake most freshmen make. Because we want to be prepared for the first day of school, we like to buy things ahead of time but sometimes the books are not even required or of much use in the class, so make sure you get to class first and see what the professor says before you go out and spend all of your savings.
2. Bribe your friends for their old textbooks. If you don’t have nice enough friends that will just give you their old textbooks for no cost at all, then usually a nice meal, a 12-pack of beer, and a pack of cigarettes will do. Trust me, that’s still a lot cheaper than buying all of your books on your own.
3. Borrow books for service hours. This is something that not a lot of freshmen know, but you can actually borrow some of your books in exchange for service hours. You can do this by going to the Multicultural Affairs office, located above the Breezeway on the Boca Raton campus.
4. If all else fails and you must buy the book, then seek out the used and oldest version of the book that you can get away with. It will be cheaper and even though it might be a little different from the newest version, usually the difference is minimal and you can still pretty much figure out the context of what you’re reading.
5.If that’s still too expensive and goes over your budget, then you can always go online to Web sites like Amazon or even eBay, sometimes they’re a lot cheaper than buying them at the bookstore and they are delivered to you, so you don’t even have to move a finger...well, except to click on it.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
I Want to Sleep
If you saw me on a daily basis, you would know that as soon as you asked me how I am I would reply with: I’m tired, I’m sleepy, and I want to go home.
The thing is that on most days, even if I go home, I don’t sleep. I get distracted on Facebook, watch E! News and completely disregard time and end up going to bed at around 2 or 3 am.
And no, pulling all nighters are not an excuse this early in the semester.
In fact, according to a 2001 Brown University Study, only 11 percent of college students get their beauty sleep. Unfortunately, I think I’m part of that other 89 percent that doesn’t.
In high school, I used to sleep a lot. I went to school at around 7 am, got home at 3 pm, took a nap and went to bed at around 10 pm. I always had energy in class, kept up with my homework, and I actually enjoyed the time that I spent in school.
But in college, things are a little different.
7:00 a.m.: Go to school
6:00 p.m.: Get home
1:00 a.m.: Homework
3:00 a.m.: Sleep
This shows that on average, I’m probably sleeping somewhere around four hours a night... not good.
Not only do I look like crap the next day, but it’s not a healthy thing to do. I’m not 100 percent alert in class, I can’t pay attention for long periods of time, I’m tired and grumpy, and I’m not enjoying my time in school as much as I should.
So in response to my lack of sleep, I thought I’d put together a few causes and solutions to get us 89 percent back on track.
The thing is that on most days, even if I go home, I don’t sleep. I get distracted on Facebook, watch E! News and completely disregard time and end up going to bed at around 2 or 3 am.
And no, pulling all nighters are not an excuse this early in the semester.
In fact, according to a 2001 Brown University Study, only 11 percent of college students get their beauty sleep. Unfortunately, I think I’m part of that other 89 percent that doesn’t.
In high school, I used to sleep a lot. I went to school at around 7 am, got home at 3 pm, took a nap and went to bed at around 10 pm. I always had energy in class, kept up with my homework, and I actually enjoyed the time that I spent in school.
But in college, things are a little different.
7:00 a.m.: Go to school
6:00 p.m.: Get home
1:00 a.m.: Homework
3:00 a.m.: Sleep
This shows that on average, I’m probably sleeping somewhere around four hours a night... not good.
Not only do I look like crap the next day, but it’s not a healthy thing to do. I’m not 100 percent alert in class, I can’t pay attention for long periods of time, I’m tired and grumpy, and I’m not enjoying my time in school as much as I should.
So in response to my lack of sleep, I thought I’d put together a few causes and solutions to get us 89 percent back on track.
- Problem: We’re partying too much. Yep, I know I’ve said this an endless amount of time, but partying is a factor in our lack of sleep. It certainly does wonders for your social life, not to mention the free amounts of alcohol from those new friends you made, but partying seven nights a week is not healthy.
- Solution: Cut back on the partying and leave it for only Fridays and Saturdays. Forget about partying on Sundays. You will be hung over on Monday and won’t pay attention at all in class and you will basically lose the money that you’re paying for your education.
- Problem: Spending too much on Facebook or related websites. I know I’m not the only one that spends hours lurking other people’s profiles and reading the little newsfeeds.
- Solution: Unless you really need your computer to do research or write a paper, my suggestion is to turn your baby off. I know it’s hard, but love hurts sometimes. If you keep wasting time online, you’ll never get anything done and leave everything for the last minute.
- Problem: Overwhelming amounts of work. Yes, we do have to study after all... that’s what we’re in college for. But we cannot let ourselves lose so much sleep over homework.
- Solution: Two words: time management. Don’t let your homework stack up over the weeks and do it the day before the test. Write yourself a personal schedule in which you make time for afternoon naps, homework, and an early bed time. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it is possible to go to bed before midnight.
Hope these tips helped. Please, do yourself a favor and hit up your sheets more often. Trust me, they miss you.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Freshman Rumor Control
Attention!
This is the freshman rumor control—a compilation of all the things that I’ve found to be true (or false) since I’ve been in college.
1. Freshmen are virgins: TRUE
Well I guess American Pie was wrong (whatever happened to getting laid on prom night?) because according to an article on CollegeHumor a Web site that dedicates its time to cover all things college, a whopping 46 percent of college freshmen are virgins. In fact, 38 percent of incoming freshmen lost their virginity on campus – no wonder everyone wanted to have a single room.
2. Freshmen fail College Algebra: TRUE
According to an article on Red Orbit only half of FAU students pass freshman level math courses, which is lower than the state’s passing rate of 62 percent.
The problem that I see with math classes at FAU is that, often times the classes are too big and for some reason the material is more difficult to understand. Not only that but the pace of the class is too fast, making it harder to fully focus on what’s been taught. Slow it down FAU!
3. Freshmen are alcoholics in the making: TRUE
You might be failing college Algebra, but damn you’re good at making that shot in beer pong. Yep, according to ABC news 45 percent of college freshmen are heavy drinkers. Alcohol is easily the most accessible thing to get on campus so it doesn’t surprise me that we’re the next generation of alcoholics in America.
I personally have friends who keep alcohol in their dorms and drink at least a couple of beers before the night is over – and that’s nothing compared to Friday night parties, where there’s no limit as to how much you can drink.
Partying is fun, but we have to start learning how to hold off on the shots…and the beer pong playoffs.
4. Most freshmen live on Campus: FALSE
When I first got accepted to college, the first thing that came to my mind was: “Let me see the dorms, I want to live on campus!” But after seeing the residential life at FAU, I had to think twice about where I wanted to live my first year of school.
It’s not that FAU is ugly, is just that most people don’t live on campus. Most students are commuters and prefer to live in the comfort of their homes, which makes it difficult for FAU to have a traditional “dorm life.” In fact according to FAU’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Analysis only nine percent of the student population lives in the dorms, which is not much compared to other big state schools.
Besides the fact that FAU is practically dead after Friday classes are over—leaving students that do live there with nothing to do. I rather live at home.
5. Freshmen gain 15 pounds: FALSE
Apparently, I was the only freshman who gained 15 pounds during the first semester – I really have to stop going to Wendy’s – because according to a report by CBS in 2006 called “Healthwatch” only six percent of freshmen gain 15 pounds. In fact the famously called “Freshman 15” are in reality an average weight gain of about six to seven pounds.
So there you have it, my official rumor control for all freshmen at FAU. Hope I’ve helped clear some doubts.
This is the freshman rumor control—a compilation of all the things that I’ve found to be true (or false) since I’ve been in college.
1. Freshmen are virgins: TRUE
Well I guess American Pie was wrong (whatever happened to getting laid on prom night?) because according to an article on CollegeHumor a Web site that dedicates its time to cover all things college, a whopping 46 percent of college freshmen are virgins. In fact, 38 percent of incoming freshmen lost their virginity on campus – no wonder everyone wanted to have a single room.
2. Freshmen fail College Algebra: TRUE
According to an article on Red Orbit only half of FAU students pass freshman level math courses, which is lower than the state’s passing rate of 62 percent.
The problem that I see with math classes at FAU is that, often times the classes are too big and for some reason the material is more difficult to understand. Not only that but the pace of the class is too fast, making it harder to fully focus on what’s been taught. Slow it down FAU!
3. Freshmen are alcoholics in the making: TRUE
You might be failing college Algebra, but damn you’re good at making that shot in beer pong. Yep, according to ABC news 45 percent of college freshmen are heavy drinkers. Alcohol is easily the most accessible thing to get on campus so it doesn’t surprise me that we’re the next generation of alcoholics in America.
I personally have friends who keep alcohol in their dorms and drink at least a couple of beers before the night is over – and that’s nothing compared to Friday night parties, where there’s no limit as to how much you can drink.
Partying is fun, but we have to start learning how to hold off on the shots…and the beer pong playoffs.
4. Most freshmen live on Campus: FALSE
When I first got accepted to college, the first thing that came to my mind was: “Let me see the dorms, I want to live on campus!” But after seeing the residential life at FAU, I had to think twice about where I wanted to live my first year of school.
It’s not that FAU is ugly, is just that most people don’t live on campus. Most students are commuters and prefer to live in the comfort of their homes, which makes it difficult for FAU to have a traditional “dorm life.” In fact according to FAU’s Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Analysis only nine percent of the student population lives in the dorms, which is not much compared to other big state schools.
Besides the fact that FAU is practically dead after Friday classes are over—leaving students that do live there with nothing to do. I rather live at home.
5. Freshmen gain 15 pounds: FALSE
Apparently, I was the only freshman who gained 15 pounds during the first semester – I really have to stop going to Wendy’s – because according to a report by CBS in 2006 called “Healthwatch” only six percent of freshmen gain 15 pounds. In fact the famously called “Freshman 15” are in reality an average weight gain of about six to seven pounds.
So there you have it, my official rumor control for all freshmen at FAU. Hope I’ve helped clear some doubts.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
Pill Pill Poppin'
When I was back in high school, I was really good at reading textbooks and instantly memorizing all the facts. I could read a chapter and still manage to remember everything I had read the next day. But in college, things are a little different.
For one, I can’t concentrate at all and I’m actually starting to think that I have some kind illness or that I just simply suffer from ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) — like everyone else.
Second of all, whenever I read something, it feels like I’m not reading it at all. I’ll spend hours at the library trying to concentrate and I still can’t remember what a paragraph is about.
Some of my friends, who also suffer from concentration problems, have turned to drugs such as Adderall — a drugs that’s supposed to help you concentrate and keep you awake for hours — or other stimulants for the mind such as Focus Factor to keep them focused, and as a freshman in college, I have actually never been exposed to those kinds of things, until now, and they sort of freak me out.
In high school, some students did suffer from things like ADD or ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder) and were prescribed Adderall to help them with their respective disorders. In college, it seems everyone takes it for the hell of it - not just to concentrate but as an actual drug.
The thing is, there are so many other things students could do to help them with their concentration when it comes to school work or when it comes to cramming for an exam. What ever happened to good old Redbull or simple cups of Joe? Back in High School, that was cooler than popping pills.
Students are not realizing of the effect of what Adderall or other similar drugs can do to them. Not only are they getting their bodies used to constantly have a substance in them to "help" them study or "help" them stay awake, but they can easily use Adderall as a step stone for illegal drugs.
My point is that there are other ways and other things you can do to do well in class and to cram up when it’s final’s season.
1. Study ahead. Read your lecture notes everyday after class. It’ll help keep the material fresh in your head and you won’t have to study as much when the test comes around.
2. Sit up front in all of your classes. Sitting in front of the teacher always prevents you from sleeping and it helps you be more alert during class discussions.
3. If you really feel like you need some sort of stimulant to try to stay up and study for longer hours then hit up your local Starbucks and get yourself a good cup of coffee — caffeine is not great for your system either, but hey, it’s a lot better than becoming the local "pill popper" of your floor.
If you are taking Adderall and don’t have ADD then take a look at this video and tell me if you act anything like these freaks.
For one, I can’t concentrate at all and I’m actually starting to think that I have some kind illness or that I just simply suffer from ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) — like everyone else.
Second of all, whenever I read something, it feels like I’m not reading it at all. I’ll spend hours at the library trying to concentrate and I still can’t remember what a paragraph is about.
Some of my friends, who also suffer from concentration problems, have turned to drugs such as Adderall — a drugs that’s supposed to help you concentrate and keep you awake for hours — or other stimulants for the mind such as Focus Factor to keep them focused, and as a freshman in college, I have actually never been exposed to those kinds of things, until now, and they sort of freak me out.
In high school, some students did suffer from things like ADD or ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder) and were prescribed Adderall to help them with their respective disorders. In college, it seems everyone takes it for the hell of it - not just to concentrate but as an actual drug.
The thing is, there are so many other things students could do to help them with their concentration when it comes to school work or when it comes to cramming for an exam. What ever happened to good old Redbull or simple cups of Joe? Back in High School, that was cooler than popping pills.
Students are not realizing of the effect of what Adderall or other similar drugs can do to them. Not only are they getting their bodies used to constantly have a substance in them to "help" them study or "help" them stay awake, but they can easily use Adderall as a step stone for illegal drugs.
My point is that there are other ways and other things you can do to do well in class and to cram up when it’s final’s season.
1. Study ahead. Read your lecture notes everyday after class. It’ll help keep the material fresh in your head and you won’t have to study as much when the test comes around.
2. Sit up front in all of your classes. Sitting in front of the teacher always prevents you from sleeping and it helps you be more alert during class discussions.
3. If you really feel like you need some sort of stimulant to try to stay up and study for longer hours then hit up your local Starbucks and get yourself a good cup of coffee — caffeine is not great for your system either, but hey, it’s a lot better than becoming the local "pill popper" of your floor.
If you are taking Adderall and don’t have ADD then take a look at this video and tell me if you act anything like these freaks.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
RateMyProfessor is a fraud!
At the beginning of my first semester at FAU, one of the first things I remember students telling me to do was to go on RateMyProfessors - a Web site that’s supposed to encourage students to rate their teachers — to check out the professors I would have and to get an idea of what their classes would be like.
Well, I checked it out.
It didn’t work.
For those who don't already know, I took an astronomy class last semester and completely hated the class. It wasn’t as easy as I thought, and the teacher, for the most part, couldn’t speak English and could not be understood no matter where you sat in the auditorium.
Most of my friends and the people I know who have taken the class would agree with me that this class sucked and it was a complete waste of time and energy. But when you look on RateMyProfessors this is what it says about my former professor from hell:
“Really easy going teacher, I really loved his lecture and the quizzes and exams were too easy. Too much extra credit in exams,” said an anonymous student.
There is no such thing as "too much extra credit," and that’s when I realized that RateMyProfessors isn't as accurate as I thought it was.
For one, students have different perspectives of a professor. We can’t all possibly have the same opinions about a teacher. That anonymous student loved his class but I completely hated it. Are the ones who love it the only students who know about that Web site?
Second of all, I’m beginning to think that RateMyProfessors is also a way for teachers to promote their classes by writing the ratings themselves and praising their work. For example, everyone who has ever taken astronomy knows for a fact that Mr. Martinez doesn’t speak perfect English and that he makes very obvious mistakes.
Now look at this review of the class on “ RateMyProfessors:
"He is very understanding and will curves the grades when need. He likes to she his kids do well."
Call me crazy, but I don’t think a student would write such a "great" review with such bad grammar. Please...
The point is that RateMyProfessors is not an accurate source of information for anybody to use. But it is even more useless for freshmen because we don’t know anything when we first start classes. We’re freshmen, and we think that Web sites like that are the coolest thing since MySpace. We get tricked into thinking that it actually works.
But if you get really desperate and want to know what a class will be like without using RateMyProfessors, here are some tips to help you out:
1. Plan your next semester’s schedules ahead and pick a random professor that you’d like to take the class with. Then, either sneak into the class one day and see what he/she is like, or personally meet him/her during office hours and try to get a feel for what the class might be like.
2. Ask around, call your friends, talk to random people in the breezeway and ask them if they’ve taken the class that you want to take. Most of the time they will either recommend a teacher or tell you who not to take.
3. If you like surprises, then you can always wait until you go to class, check out the teacher yourself and see if you like him or her. If you don’t, then drop the class before the end of the drop/add period, which is usually the duration of the first week of the semester.
I hope you found these helpful and I wish you all luck with your spring semester schedules. I know I’ll definitely need it.
Well, I checked it out.
It didn’t work.
For those who don't already know, I took an astronomy class last semester and completely hated the class. It wasn’t as easy as I thought, and the teacher, for the most part, couldn’t speak English and could not be understood no matter where you sat in the auditorium.
Most of my friends and the people I know who have taken the class would agree with me that this class sucked and it was a complete waste of time and energy. But when you look on RateMyProfessors this is what it says about my former professor from hell:
“Really easy going teacher, I really loved his lecture and the quizzes and exams were too easy. Too much extra credit in exams,” said an anonymous student.
There is no such thing as "too much extra credit," and that’s when I realized that RateMyProfessors isn't as accurate as I thought it was.
For one, students have different perspectives of a professor. We can’t all possibly have the same opinions about a teacher. That anonymous student loved his class but I completely hated it. Are the ones who love it the only students who know about that Web site?
Second of all, I’m beginning to think that RateMyProfessors is also a way for teachers to promote their classes by writing the ratings themselves and praising their work. For example, everyone who has ever taken astronomy knows for a fact that Mr. Martinez doesn’t speak perfect English and that he makes very obvious mistakes.
Now look at this review of the class on “ RateMyProfessors:
"He is very understanding and will curves the grades when need. He likes to she his kids do well."
Call me crazy, but I don’t think a student would write such a "great" review with such bad grammar. Please...
The point is that RateMyProfessors is not an accurate source of information for anybody to use. But it is even more useless for freshmen because we don’t know anything when we first start classes. We’re freshmen, and we think that Web sites like that are the coolest thing since MySpace. We get tricked into thinking that it actually works.
But if you get really desperate and want to know what a class will be like without using RateMyProfessors, here are some tips to help you out:
1. Plan your next semester’s schedules ahead and pick a random professor that you’d like to take the class with. Then, either sneak into the class one day and see what he/she is like, or personally meet him/her during office hours and try to get a feel for what the class might be like.
2. Ask around, call your friends, talk to random people in the breezeway and ask them if they’ve taken the class that you want to take. Most of the time they will either recommend a teacher or tell you who not to take.
3. If you like surprises, then you can always wait until you go to class, check out the teacher yourself and see if you like him or her. If you don’t, then drop the class before the end of the drop/add period, which is usually the duration of the first week of the semester.
I hope you found these helpful and I wish you all luck with your spring semester schedules. I know I’ll definitely need it.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
The Rules of Attendance
Back in my high school days, teachers used to be pretty strict about attendance. We couldn’t be late to class, and we could only miss a certain amount of school days before we were made to go to summer school. The least a teacher could do for an absence was give us a detention.
But now that I’m in college, things are a little different. In fact, they’ve changed for the worse. As it turns out, some courses state that if students miss class more than three times, they fail — meaning the entire course. I find this to be quite absurd.
I feel like I’m back in high school. This whole attendance deal is ridiculous. If I have worked hard in a class and have gotten decent grades on my tests, then there is no reason why I should be punished by receiving an F in a course simply because of missing three days of class.
Of course, not all courses implement the same policy of failing a student due to absences in the class. In my French class, for example, the attendance policy has officially been changed on the syllabus. Students who have more than three absences will have points deducted for each additional absence - which I think is a reasonable policy for students.
But for math, the policy is incredibly uptight. According to the syllabus, a student may only be absent five times. Otherwise, he or she absolutely fails the entire course. No excuses.
I always thought teachers would be less strict about classes in college. Why do they care when we are the ones who are paying for classes and it is our problem whether we go to class or not?
Besides, I don’t think a rule like that even needs to be implemented in college. We’re older now, and we should know better to actually be responsible and go to class. We don’t need rules like that. It actually hurts my feelings that the school would think we are that irresponsible when we’re paying for our own classes.
Of course, I know it’s probably a little difficult for teachers to actually believe that a recent high school graduate would be responsible enough to go to class and not skip. A good reason why they would implement such a rule. But hey, we made it to college; we’re not that stupid.
At least I’m happy that this semester is over. I actually feel accomplished that I made it through my first semester in college. I survived it, I’m starting to lose the freshman 15, and I’m not failing math due to attendance.
I still think that someone should say something about the attendance matter, though. Maybe attendance should not be that big of a deal. Teachers could just gradually deduct points from students' grades whenever they are absent more than three times. Or how about if teachers give extra credit for perfect attendance? Maybe we could all feel a little more motivated to go to class.
The point is that grades should be based on how well we do on tests, not on attendance.
Oh, and by the way... have a happy winter break!
But now that I’m in college, things are a little different. In fact, they’ve changed for the worse. As it turns out, some courses state that if students miss class more than three times, they fail — meaning the entire course. I find this to be quite absurd.
I feel like I’m back in high school. This whole attendance deal is ridiculous. If I have worked hard in a class and have gotten decent grades on my tests, then there is no reason why I should be punished by receiving an F in a course simply because of missing three days of class.
Of course, not all courses implement the same policy of failing a student due to absences in the class. In my French class, for example, the attendance policy has officially been changed on the syllabus. Students who have more than three absences will have points deducted for each additional absence - which I think is a reasonable policy for students.
But for math, the policy is incredibly uptight. According to the syllabus, a student may only be absent five times. Otherwise, he or she absolutely fails the entire course. No excuses.
I always thought teachers would be less strict about classes in college. Why do they care when we are the ones who are paying for classes and it is our problem whether we go to class or not?
Besides, I don’t think a rule like that even needs to be implemented in college. We’re older now, and we should know better to actually be responsible and go to class. We don’t need rules like that. It actually hurts my feelings that the school would think we are that irresponsible when we’re paying for our own classes.
Of course, I know it’s probably a little difficult for teachers to actually believe that a recent high school graduate would be responsible enough to go to class and not skip. A good reason why they would implement such a rule. But hey, we made it to college; we’re not that stupid.
At least I’m happy that this semester is over. I actually feel accomplished that I made it through my first semester in college. I survived it, I’m starting to lose the freshman 15, and I’m not failing math due to attendance.
I still think that someone should say something about the attendance matter, though. Maybe attendance should not be that big of a deal. Teachers could just gradually deduct points from students' grades whenever they are absent more than three times. Or how about if teachers give extra credit for perfect attendance? Maybe we could all feel a little more motivated to go to class.
The point is that grades should be based on how well we do on tests, not on attendance.
Oh, and by the way... have a happy winter break!
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Losing my hair because of college finals
It's finals season and, in case you haven’t noticed, the semester is practically over. I almost survived my first semester in college.
Aside from my mini personal victory, I’m freaking out about finals.
To me, finals are a big deal. They are practically our last chance to do well in a class, and if I don’t do well on all of my finals, my GPA is seriously going to go through an extreme amount of pain.
There is a lot of pressure to do well on a final. If you’re like me and you’re leaving everything to the last minute, there’s even more pressure to study massive amounts of information in a matter of a couple of days.I’m such a mess.
Not only that, but every time I bump into my friends at the library when I’m about to study, they compelled to tell me their final schedules and how freaked out they are, which doesn’t help my situation at all.
You see, things were a tad different in high school.
First of all, finals were important for us, but finals didn’t happen until the end of the school year, specifically during the summer.
Second of all, we still had the same classes the semester after winter break, which meant we still had time to raise our grades before the end of the school year, which took off a lot of pressure from the midterms.
In college, when the semester is over, it’s over. There are no more chances to do better in a class except for the final. I’m already an emotional wreck whenever I think about my astronomy final.
On top of that, the material covered in a college course is a lot more than what the teachers covered back in my high school days.
Since it's been a little tough to take a breather because I'm so stressed out, I figured I'd pass along some tips that have been past along to me.
And for your viewing pleasure, watch this:
Good luck with finals!
Aside from my mini personal victory, I’m freaking out about finals.
To me, finals are a big deal. They are practically our last chance to do well in a class, and if I don’t do well on all of my finals, my GPA is seriously going to go through an extreme amount of pain.
There is a lot of pressure to do well on a final. If you’re like me and you’re leaving everything to the last minute, there’s even more pressure to study massive amounts of information in a matter of a couple of days.I’m such a mess.
Not only that, but every time I bump into my friends at the library when I’m about to study, they compelled to tell me their final schedules and how freaked out they are, which doesn’t help my situation at all.
You see, things were a tad different in high school.
First of all, finals were important for us, but finals didn’t happen until the end of the school year, specifically during the summer.
Second of all, we still had the same classes the semester after winter break, which meant we still had time to raise our grades before the end of the school year, which took off a lot of pressure from the midterms.
In college, when the semester is over, it’s over. There are no more chances to do better in a class except for the final. I’m already an emotional wreck whenever I think about my astronomy final.
On top of that, the material covered in a college course is a lot more than what the teachers covered back in my high school days.
Since it's been a little tough to take a breather because I'm so stressed out, I figured I'd pass along some tips that have been past along to me.
- Prioritize your studies according to the order of your finals: This is something I find very helpful whenever I have tried to study for finals. The main thing you have to do is to try to study for the first final you are going to take. For example, the first final I’m taking is math... meaning that right now, I’m cramming up all of those logarithm rules I learned last week. The second final I’m taking is French, which I’ll study for during the weekend.
- Ask your professors all of the last minute questions this week: Don’t wait until the night before your final to send your teacher an e-mail and ask him or her for help. If you have questions and you don’t understand something... by all means, ask away!
- Study groups are the "in" thing to do: Get a group of friends together and hit up your local Barnes & Noble or coffee shop. It is an efficient way of learning the material quickly and you get to bond with your fellow classmates.
- Three words: try to sleep: A common misconception with college students — especially freshmen — is that in order to do well on your finals, you have to stay up all night and cram everything up in one sitting. This is not true. Our bodies need rest, and if we just keep working and studying like maniacs, our brains will be so tired that all the information we retained will be gone by the time we start writing out our names on our tests. Finals are important, but so is our health. Make sure you schedule in some sleep.
- Take a deep breath: What’s the worst thing that could happen if you don’t do that well on your final? Try to relax and take breaks between long study sessions. If you’ve paid attention in class, then you should be OK. If not.. well... there’s always next semester.
And for your viewing pleasure, watch this:
Good luck with finals!
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