Our Back 2 School Advice
Who’s ready for back to school?
It’s that time of year again. You know, when the summertime sadness starts to kick in, the Canadian weather starts to change and those back to routine feelings gives you both, excited and anxious emotions. Whether you are a student starting a new chapter of your life or a returning student, we all feel this way when this time of year rolls around. We are sure that for many of us, we don’t really have the desire to get back into the groove of things, working day and night, creating precise and organized schedules, especially as life has become more online based. It’s okay to feel anxious or nervous about this new way of life. We totally feel the same way too. But, as we always remind ourselves that the best way to elevate these feelings is to feel prepared.
Throughout this post we are going to give you some insight about our first-year university experience, as well as, three tips that may help you as you enter this new school year.
Tip #1 – Developing Study Strategies
For many of us whether you are a high school, college or university student by now we can all say that we have created some sort of method for studying that we may feel really comfortable with. By the time university approached for us, there were some changes that needed to happen to make studying more efficient and effective.
Some Of Our Personal Study Habits
Write out important information on powerpoint slides
Write out key information on Q-cards
Reviewing content on a constant/weekly basis
Testing each other’s knowledge
Took breaks in between studying
Without a doubt, these habits became quite useful and worked for us among many of the courses we took. Of course, not everyone likes to write out their notes, or utilize Q-cards. There are so many other effective study methods that can help you become more successful in your studies.
Other Studying Tips
Type out easy to read notes on google docs or on a powerpoint using one note
Use an external device such as an iPad to write out summarized notes
Create weekly study groups with your friends and test each others knowledge
Ask your professor what their opinion is on studying, as well as, how to be successful in their course
Find summarize notes online to assist you in developing more improved study habits
As a whole, it does not matter if you are a high school, college or university student these techniques can help anyone prosper in reaching their academic or personal goals this year. Once you find your own “gold standard” technique, school life will seem way less stressful.
Tip #2 – Getting Involved
Obviously, transitioning into university or collage can seem like a big step for anyone. This is a beginning of a new chapter and we all want to ensure that we feel comfortable in a brand-new environment. As we both entered our first year, we felt this way. But, we still participated in activities and events that made our first year so memorable.
For all you incoming McMaster students we can speak on the tremendous amount of opportunities offered on campus. To be more precise there are approximately 350 clubs at McMaster. The clubs are divided into five categories including academic, cultural, recreational, religious and social issues. There is definitely a club for everyone!
The key to success in first year or throughout your university/college experience is to never be afraid of taking risks and going outside your comfort zone.
Tip #3 - Communication
The last tip we believe is being able to communicate. Going into our first year, we heard a lot of upper year students share that students avoid talking to professors during office hour times. It’s understandable; students are still getting used to the transition and getting to know how school life works. But, what many students don’t really think about is that going to office hours to meet a professor can be more than just a question period. They are mentors that can grant you with so many other resources that can potentially help anyone in their future studies.
Pros of Talking to a Professor
They get to know you as a student
The more you visit them the more you feel comfortable talking to them
They may offer external school resources that can assist your learning
May guide you towards obtaining opportunities
May give you additional information that may spark new interests later in your studies
On a personal note, during our first year we can honestly say, all of the kinesiology professors were easily approachable, welcoming and helpful to assist us whenever we needed it the most. But aside from talking to professors, there are so many other people that can help answer questions and address concerns.
Additional resources:
Upper Year Students
Classmates
Student Wellness Centres
Peer Support Services
Academic counselors
As we all enter a new school year, we hope our school advice can help you! Have Questions? Email us at officialtwinlife@gmail.com
These are some pictures from our favourite first year memories:
