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At the beginning of the course, I was submitting things very close to the deadline, I was anxious over tests and important assignments, and I didn’t have very good study habits. However, throughout the semester I learned various strategies that allowed me to succeed in my courses this semester. I plan on taking what I learned and implementing them in my future studies and endeavors.

The most important strategies I’ve learned:

1. Keep a planner. Being organized is key if you want to succeed. Knowing when your exams are, when you have responsibilities, etc will help you manage your time better.
2. Have a positive mindset. You are going to fail; it’s going to happen and it’s okay. Not letting the downfalls keep you down is one of the most important things you can keep in mind when in college. Learn from your mistakes and keep pushing.
3. Use the resources that you’re given. OSU has so many resources that are great for studying and researching. Learn how to use them and utilize them!
4. Prepare! Prepare for your exams and assignments. Get a good study habit forming by not procrastinating and setting aside specific days to study your material.

It’s important to take care of yourself. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. Throughout this semester I’ve learned a lot about myself and my specific study habits. By learning about who you are as a person, it’ll be easier to cater to your own study habits and organize your life so you can succeed. For example,

1. I learned that I’m a procrastinator. What does this mean? That means that I have to plan ahead! By writing in a planner, I can organize 20 minutes a day for me to work on a project that way even if I do wait until the last minute, I will have some of it finished.
2. I learned that I’m a reflective learner. Being a reflective learner means that I don’t like to actively engage in class discussions; I’d rather sit back and really think about the course material. By knowing how I learn, I can adjust how I study.
3. I learned that I respond well to positive reinforcements and that motivates me. This is helpful because I know that by motivating myself to study and do well on tests will lead to a shopping trip or pampering, I’m more likely to stick with it for a long time.

How will I apply what I learned in this course to my future endeavors? Well, now at the end of the course, I keep a planner and I’m good at submitting things early. I’m going to continue to make templates and study guides for studying for exams and practicing all of the studying strategies that I learned. I like to keep my days organized and I even make a to-do list each night before I go to bed. I find that I am able to get an adequate amount of sleep each night, have enough time to hangout with my friends and family, and still enjoy all of my hobbies.

To my readers, college is tough. It’s nothing that you can’t handle though. You’re given all of the resources to succeed and you have the ability to do great things! Keep motivated, take care of your mental health, and surround yourself with a positive attitude.

Searching and Researching Sites:

There are great tools for searching and researching for sources. Keep these tips in mind for when you’re searching for sources!

1. Using broad terms will pull up more results. Narrow down these results by being specific with your terms. Using the “search through results” hyperlink will allow you to narrow down results.
2. Use different terminology when you’re searching. Sometimes using various words will pull up different articles or results.
3. Try Advanced Google; it allows you to limit the search results to sites that have your exact phrases or timeframe that you’re searching for.

When going through the various sites that you want to pull your information from, keep the three source evaluations in mind; Reliability, Quality, and Utility. Ask yourself these questions:

1. Reliability: Is it reliable? Does it provide the author? Does it have good credentials? Is the publisher reliable?
2. Quality: How is the information? Is it consistent? Is it up to date? Is it biased? Make sure that the information you’re reading is quality and not just generalized.
3. Utility: Can you use this information? Is it appropriate for the audience? Is it related to your topic?

After you ask yourself these questions, make the decision to use the information from the website. If you do choose to use the information,  be sure you cite your source appropriately.

For my educational video, I decided to share one off of one of my favorite studying sites. Khan Academy is a website that has a collection of math videos that will break down concepts and give examples so you can understand them better. In this video, the narrator explains how to evaluate simple definite integrals. By breaking down the concept, he highlights important things you should take away from the chapter. He first explains the basics, then he goes on to further show you various examples. The videos are short, but they are concise.

I’m currently enrolled in a math course this summer and one of the topics we are learning about is finding integrals. This video clearly breaks down the chapter and explains how to evaluate simple integrals. I like learning this way because it explains the concept in a different way than we are taught in class sometimes. It’s also a great review for exams and quizzes because the videos are short and get right to the point. I use Khan Academy for a lot of my homework questions and when I struggle with a certain chapter.

Tips on how to study smarter:

You don’t have to study for hours on end to understand material. A key strategy to success in school is to learn how to study smarter and more efficiently.

• Before you read: Go over your syllabus and write down concepts you should know by the end of your reading. Create a study guide that has “questions you should be able to answer” by the end of your reading. This will stimulate your mind once you’re actually reading because you will be picking out keywords and concepts. Remove distractions that you might have as well; this will assure you aren’t mindlessly reading.
• While reading: Scan, identify main points, highlight and underline. This is important because when you go back to review or study for an exam, you will find the highlighted parts and be able to make flashcards or graphs out of them.  Be sure to write down keywords, and try to summarize in your head while you’re reading.
• After reading: Recall what you read, write it in your own words, and highlight important concepts. Keep your notes organized. Make connections to the outside world and apply your knowledge. This will help you understand the material better.

When you go back to turn these into study tools, use the material you read and create graphs, charts, lists, timelines, etc. This will help you recall the information and review it as well. Something that I like to do with my notes are to make flashcards. I also like to type out my handwritten notes and print them. It looks a lot cleaner and clearer to me this way and I’m able to categorize it a lot easier.

At some point in your life, you will have to compose a professional email. This could be to a professor, a prospective employer, or even a boss. There are various things to keep in mind as you write out your email. Because our generation is so tech savvy, we often forget that writing emails are not the same as text messages. When writing an email, I personally like to pretend I’m writing a letter because then I remember to include some of the basic components. For example, a greeting, a body, a conclusion, and a closing. Here are some other tips to keep in mind when emailing a professional. First, don’t use caps. It’s also not wise to use emoticons or smiley faces just because it’s not very professional. Avoid using sarcasm, or making demands. This could come off the wrong way, and your professor won’t have a very good impression of you. Making unprofessional jokes or not using the right language could also convey the wrong message. A piece of advice I would give to fellow students is to practice sending out emails! Whether it be another peer, a sibling, or even a parent, it’s great to get into the habit of making sure you include all of the components. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your professor or future employer because they will more than likely love to hear your questions/concerns. Learning how to communicate professionally will ultimately help you succeed in your future endeavors!