While everyone’s pencils are still sharp and the school supplies still shiny and new and before the assignments and reading start piling up to unmanageable quantities, here’s some good advice on how to kick academic booty.

Keep in mind that advice tends to be a twisted-up combination of the stuff people did right, smooshed in with the 20/20 hindsight-corrected form of what they screwed up the first time through. Which means it’s well-researched and sensible, but unlikely that you’ll be able to keep up the perfection the advice-givers wish they’d executed their college careers with.

My favorite quote regarding advice and the dispensing of it is from Mary Schmich’s column in the Chicago Tribune–now known as Everyone’s Free (To Wear Sunscreen):

Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

It’s good to keep that in mind. However, sometimes using the advice people give to take note of someone else’s blunders and then editing your actions accordingly can save you a lot of time and heartbreak.

College is a lot of work. You can expect it to get overwhelming if you don’t figure out a way to keep your head above water. Being in possession of some practical scheduling guidelines from people who’ve previously buried themselves and have learned from their mistakes can come in handy when you’re freaking out mid term. It may even be possible to glean some priceless nuggets and avoid academic probation altogether.

General:
How To Be A Student
How To Do Really Well In College: A Guide For Freshmen
Tips For Freshman Academic Success
Top Grades In Lecture Classes
How To Excel As A Student

Homework:
How To Defeat Writer’s Block
How To Plan A Homework Schedule

Note-taking:
Taking Notes That Work
How To Take Effective Class Notes

Posted by Alexa Harrington
college advice