Category: Cram Session
Any tips are welcome, from studying, time management, group work, notetaking, etc...I'd like your input. :)
Thanks
For notetaking, record all your lectures, if possible. It helps some people to both record and take notes on the device of their choice. This helps some people with memorization and comprehension.
Concerning other tips for college, be more specific with questions about your concerns. What do you want to know more about? What do you think you might have problems with? What do you feel nervous about?
Hi. I've done the college thing. Just finished it in fact, though I did so in the UK, got my degree about 2 months ago. If you want to chat about it and things I thought were helpful then pm me or add me to skype.
MJ
Put the local cab number in your phone. If you are like most college students you will need it at some point especially since it's extra stupid to wonnder around late at night while both intoxicatd and blind.
It's important to take very good notes in your classes. I agree with Inquisitive Intensity about recording your lectures. Sometimes the professors talk really fast so you may miss something. Sometimes I understand and remember things better if I can listen to it more than once. Don't wait until the night before an exam to study. Also, You should talk to your school's disabilities support services (each school probably has a different name for it) about getting your books in an alternative format and testing accommodations.
recording is good as long as the professor okays it otherwise you'll be held responsible for violating their intellectual property.
My study habbits are different since I'm an engineering major so maybe if you can state what your major is? I find it varries from major to major and recording lectures in my case was useless since a lot of what the professor said was complimenting what was on the board.
since there're quite a number of post about note taking methord, i'm not gonna bore you further with it. however, my advice is study in advance. if your university schadule is in week 2 for example, you should be in week 4.
also, get in touch with whoever that is in Disability Servicce, be visible to them, and let them know in advance what you enrol in, what class you going to have, and possibly provides them with the details of your lecturers and tutors. also, get yourself prepare with software such as K1000 or OpenBook, you will need it along the journey. and, last but not lease, which is very important, get yourself familiar with your university learning website. most of the university either use BlackBoard or WebCT or one of those. it can be problematic if you not use to searching for information in somewhat can be complecated website, but its essential as there's often the way lecturer communicate with students in general, and also, you'll find discussion about the specific topic from your fellow students.
welcome to the life of a university student, enjoy and have fun at the same time.
if you have any problems or issues that you want to discuss further, feel free to PM me
I am also a freshman in college psych major here, yeah, the popular one around the blind commmunity and I actually want to go in to ed psych which also seems more popular then the rest amongst us blind folks but I mostly would like time management tips especially catered towards blind people. an thanks for the tip about reading in advance that is helpful, I think it was buttercup? so you think 2 weeks in advanced is sufficient? what other time and schedule management tips would you suggest?
As for time management, be sure to note down the schedule for the week in advance (keeping in mind the time spent for walking to and from classes). Also, a tip I heard from somewhere says that one should take a break from studying once or twice (for a number of minutes) before resuming, or doing some other activities between studying (heard that it helps with actual studying). Also reading books in advance should help - not just textbooks, but also books that talk about related content, or visiting sites that talks about the subject at hand would be useful.
hmmmm..... I see, sounds helpful to me....
its important for you to check your semester schedule in terms of accademic wise. make sure you note down those important dates, e.g. assignments due date, examination date, and other revelent and important tdates from your school.
also, please start your assignment as early as you can. doesn't matter if it not gonna due in 2 months time or whatever, start it early, allow lots of time for research, and for problems that might go wrong with your research. e.g. pdf files that might not working, and so on. is always better to be in advance, than be late.
also, if you having dificulties, talk to revelent people. e.g. people in the disability unit, and also, make yourself known to your corse/topic coordinator, and also your lecturers and tutors. you never know, you might need them somehow.
Yes, disabled services is a must do. If you are not sign up with your state or whatever service in your country that supports disabled students. The equipment is a most to have and it is expensive, so get as much of it purchased for you as possible. The worst thing is to ignore this support, finish and have major bills because you've gone to college, but not the job that affords you the bill money.
Try to get personally involved with your instructors. What I mean is talk to them about your problems, needs, and such things. Ask them what might help them to help you, and what might make them feel easy having you in the class. This does not always work, but when it does it could save you lots of trouble. They reall don't know what to do with you, so if you help them help you you'll get along easier.
College is the best time in your life, or should be. Get involved with some sort of social group, or go down to the student union now and than and just hangout. You might meet somebody that will make your off time fun. To much work and no play will burn you out.
Ok and this goes for those that are reading this that may be about to choose a college.
Make sure you really do your research into the school especially disability services. choose what is best for you. Know your rights and laws. Be sure you manage your time wisely and be on top of things.
Hey, heHi, here are a few tips that I learned through many semesters of college. Research your major well. Is it practical? Can you find a job in your area that is relevant to your degree? Get some hands-on experience in your field. It's never too early to get some relevant work experience. Internships, paid work, volunteer work, doesn't matter, just get some! Nothing's worse than graduating with degree in hand, and no real-world experience to back it up. Learn our classrooms early, if possible, familiarize yourself with the layout. On the first day of each semester, get to classes early, even if you have to wait a few minutes, it's worth it to beat the mad rush of students hurrying to get to class. Take notes as you read your textbooks and reread them often. Use sites like Wikipedia to help you understand complicated terms, but don't cite them as a reference on your papers. Start your assignments early, you'll thank yourself when you're through, and everyone else is freaking out cause their paper's not done. Get to know your professors, and don't be afraid to ask them disability-related questions. if you read braille, at least try to have the syllabi in braille, and don't lose them. Connect with a few classmates to form a study group. These can be really fun, and can take some of the stress off of having to learn complicated concepts on your own. Get familiar with websites like Web Ct. Write down all your passwords for school-related websites. Try to apply for as many grants and scholarships as possible, I managed to get out of school debt-free. Have a backup battery for your laptop. Don't overload yourself with challenging classes. If you're taking a Statistics class, and you suck at Math (like me), then take fewer classes so you can concentrate and pass the harder course. Look at your program sheet often, and make sure required courses dont change. Register early and get your text books as soon as you can. All the other tips I have have already been discussed. Hth, and for all you college students, PM me if you have any questions.