Things We Wish We'd Known....

On November 13th, Women in Science & Engineering (WISE) and the F.U.T.U.R.E.S Science Club held a joint presentation for new students where knowledge donated by old students was compiled and passed on to the new science student generation at SCCC.

All donations of information were kept anonymous, but I thought I would share this particularly great submission from a seasoned student that has been enrolled in college for over 4 years!

"My 2 cents" - A Student Submission

If you can easily manage 20 credit hours with A's, work, and have a life, then there is nothing I can advise.

If school is a struggle then consider the following (no particular order):

1) Time management is everything. Quarter system is busy. Touch everything every day. Avoid the trap of just putting out fires. Time, even if a little, must be given to everything everyday. The brain rewards this.
2) Schedule your day around the availability of resources, like tutor schedules and faculty office hours. Fast answers and clarifications save time.
3) Never get any sense of entitlement with regard to grades. Just because you studied all weekend doesn't entitle you to an A. Jimmy partied all weekend and got an A. So you ain't as smart as Jimmy, get over it. Find the routine that works for you.
4) Always have a sense of urgency but eliminate any emotions (good or bad) attached to any performance evaluation. Strong emotions buy you nothing.
5) If possible, study/review an hour or less just prior to exams in order to wake the brain.
6) Avoid distractions: friends, MySpace, YouTube, porn; that sort of thing while studying. It only makes for inefficient studying.
7) Sleep is king. This is the time that the brain updates its hard drive. Lack of it makes for inefficient studying, health problems, and a feeling of being overwhelmed.

The event was a success, and is going to be held next quarter for those that were unable to come. Keep your eyes peeled!