By: Victoria Lopatka, Peak Associate
Nervous for your first term at SFU? Trying to pick up new habits for a different kind of school year? Not to worry: here’s a listicle.
1) Know what type of learner you are and implement it in everyday learning
If you like watching educational videos to help you prep for tests, you might be a visual learner. If you like building things and working with your hands, you might be a physical learner. There are many types of learning styles, and knowing yours can help you make changes to your study routine, making it more effective and enjoyable. There are even online tests such as this one that you can take to find out what your style is.
2) Create S.M.A.R.T goals for yourself and work a little bit everyday to achieve them
S.M.A.R.T, an acronym coined by former consultant for the Washington Water Power Company George T. Doran, stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. Just saying “I want to improve my grades” isn’t a helpful goal, since you don’t know when you’ll have achieved it or how you’ll get there. A better goal, for example, would be “I want to raise my GPA from a 3.3 to a 3.5 by the end of this semester.” The latter sets a timeline, and it’s both quantifiable and concretely attainable.
So, if you’re trying to raise your GPA, like in the example above, maybe you could set a goal to review your lecture notes for 20 minutes every evening. It’s a small chunk of your day which can add up over time. Once you have a goal, it can feel overwhelming, but if you work a little bit everyday, you’d be surprised at how much more relaxed and satisfied you feel.
3) Use an organization tool to stay on top of upcoming deadlines and events
This could be anything from a calendar on your phone or above your desk to a planner or bullet journal. Deadlines tend to sneak up on us all, especially when we’re balancing an upcoming test, an essay due in two weeks, a group project, and an online Canvas quiz we have three hours to complete.
Being able to lay out everything in one place can keep things from piling up and being forgotten about. At the beginning of the semester, sit down with all your syllabuses and record every quiz, test, project, assignment, and exam so their existence isn’t a nasty surprise the day before they need to be done and turned in.
4) Create a good study environment
Working in a good study environment can help you stay focussed, study for longer periods of time, and improve the quality of your study session. Some tips on creating your ideal study space include:
– Finding a quiet place
– Creating a space free of phones, notifications, and distracting screens.
– Making sure you have good lighting
– Keeping the space organized and clean
– Having a large desk or table (as opposed to a bed or comfy chair where you may be tempted to nap)
– Making sure the space is solely dedicated to studying, and not sleeping, eating, or leisure
5) Keep your life balanced
It may seem impossible to balance school, a part-time job, a social life, healthy living, sleep, and self-care during the semester, but it’s so important. You can achieve balance through scheduling, organization and prioritizing — all crucial skills to develop. Make a to-do list every day, blocking out time for everything you need to do. Remember to always give a little more time than you expect to studying.
It’s also important to prioritize your mental and physical health, because if either are not doing well, other aspects of your life may struggle. For example, you won’t be able to focus and take good notes in class if you haven’t eaten all day.
Lastly, pay attention to what aspect of your life gets neglected during stressful times, like exams. Do you find yourself being distant from friends and family? Do you stay up all night cramming and get no sleep? Make sure to pay special attention to these aspects.
6) Learn to study effectively so you can spend more time doing what you want
“Work smart, not hard,” they say. “Quality over quantity,” as they say. You can cram, study and panic for hours before an exam, but that isn’t as helpful as one hour of quality studying. You could reread your notes several times with Netflix in the background for several hours, or make some handwritten notes or flash cards once and keep the information handy.
Knowing the format of tests (long answer, short answer, multiple choice . . .) can also help you study smarter — develop practise questions or quizzes, for example. My favourite website to use is Quizlet.
7) Be aware of the resources and help at your disposal
SFU offers a variety of resources for students, including Academic Advising, Health & Counselling, and workshops to improve your overall university experience. There is also a selection of online resources that can help you learn how to cite properly and improve your essay-writing skills.
For issues that Academic Advising and tutors can’t assist you with, the Women’s Center or Out on Campus may be able to help you. Lastly, students rarely use the office hours of their TAs and professors to their full advantage. But that’s where you can go to get help with test prep, answers to questions you didn’t get to ask in class, and help with essays.
8) Learn how to identify and cut off toxic people
As you enter university, you’ll probably be trying to make friends left and right, but it’s important to realize that all the people you meet may not be lifelong friend material, and some might be downright toxic. Toxic friends are often unempathetic to your issues, untrustworthy, frequent gossips, self-centered, always involved in drama, inconsistent or flakey, and pessimistic. These are the people who aren’t happy for you when you succeed and constantly take little digs at you to bring you down.
Sometimes, ending a friendship can be as simple as just deleting the other person off your social media. Other times, you might have to have a direct, honest conversation with them about why this friendship isn’t working for you. Toxic friends can and will impede your ability to thrive and be happy in university, and you definitely don’t need them in your life. Don’t feel bad saying so.
9) Stay hydrated
With our bodies being mostly made up of water, it’s important to stay hydrated regularly. Drinking enough water has positive effects on physical and cognitive performance, increases your energy levels, decreases frequency and duration of headaches, and helps with hangovers (did that get your attention?).
Incorporating more water into your everyday routine is easier than you think. One great way to remember to drink more is by using an app. I use PlantNanny, where you “water” your little virtual plant every time you drink water, and it’ll send you notifications if you aren’t drinking enough.
You could also incorporate drinking water into things you do already. You could drink water every time you go to the washroom, drink water every time you’re in your kitchen, drink water every time you eat something, etc.
10) Join a club or participate in an extracurricular ASAP
SFU has a large collection of clubs and extracurriculars available for students to join. You’ll find clubs related to political affiliations, cultures, religions, hobbies, opinions, talents, and much more on the Club Directory. You can also see what these clubs have to offer at Clubs Days, which occurs at the beginning of every semester. Joining a club will help you meet new people, stay connected, and do something other than schoolwork.
11) Learn how to ace a job interview
Many students in university have a part-time job or do co-op. It can help you learn many new skills, add to your resume, and explore career options you may want to pursue. Above all, though, you can get that money, honey. But before you get the money you have to get — and ace — the job interview.
Recently, when I was looking for a job, I found the website GlassDoor to be super helpful. You can look up interview questions from the place you’re interviewing at, so you know what to expect and can prepare answers. You should also research the company you’re dealing with beforehand, be a bit on time or early, make eye contact when speaking, speak slowly, and follow up after the interview with a thank-you email or phone call.
12) Learn how to cook a few basic meals for yourself
There’s nothing worse than coming home after a long day of classes and having absolutely nothing to eat, no one to cook for you, and no money to eat out with. One or more of these circumstances will happen pretty often, so it’s best if you know how to cook a few things for yourself. Luckily, YouTube and food blogs are helpful and informative. Stews, stir-fries, and pasta dishes are good recipes to start with. Swap recipes with friends or other students to see what they’re eating if you need inspiration.
13) Form strong, educated opinions
Pro-life or pro-choice? Conservative, NDP or Liberal? Feminist? In university, your opinions may be questioned or even challenged in and out of class. You can’t be complacent on every topic, especially those relevant in the news today, and you can’t make a difference in the world if you aren’t passionate about anything.
Pay attention to current events, politics, and social issues. Choose an issue that you’re interested in and learn about the topic. Explore both – or all the possible – sides of the topic. Remember to check sources and ask questions about what you read – especially things online or on social media. Converse with others on the topic, which may be facilitated by joining the SFU Debate Club, or one focused on political or social justice issues. Eventually, you’ll be able to sort out what you firmly believe in and what you definitely don’t.
14) Do more things that intimidate or scare you
So, you’ve been presented with an opportunity. Maybe it’s a new job, a new friend, an invitation to try or do something. It sounds really exciting and you want to do it – but you’re scared. Self-doubt or worry may fill your mind and you end up turning down this opportunity. Does this sound familiar?
Often, a lot of things that scare us end up being incredibly rewarding if we go through with them. We want to wait until we’re 100% sure that we will succeed before doing something — but when does that actually happen in real life? When it does, how often does it happen with things that are truly awesome? Answer: rarely. Give less time to fear and worrying, focus on times when you’ve succeeded, and try to do more things that scare you.
15) Wake up a little earlier than you have to
There are many rewards for those who wake up a little early. It can give you time to have a good breakfast or get some exercise in. You can check things off your to-do list before 10 a.m., which will leave you feeling satisfied and energetic for the rest of the day. It can ensure you’re on time or early for important meetings and appointments.
Some people, especially night-owls, struggle with waking up early. You can make it easier by learning about your natural REM cycle and applying the knowledge, going to bed earlier, starting slowly by waking up just 15–20 minutes earlier than normal each week, and rewarding yourself for rising early with a treat or a hobby you enjoy.
