college is easy, actually

Summary

This script offers 20 valuable tips for college students to excel academically, emphasizing the importance of attending classes, sitting at the front, and utilizing free online resources for textbooks. It advises against early morning classes, recommends maximizing credit units, and highlights the benefits of recorded lectures. The speaker also encourages forming study groups, utilizing school resources, building relationships with professors, and developing effective study habits. Other suggestions include attending office hours, learning from upperclassmen, creating systems and routines, completing all assignments diligently, and taking at least one enjoyable class per semester to maintain a balanced college experience.

Takeaways

• 📚 Go to class regularly as it's crucial for learning and makes the most of your tuition fees.
• 🎓 Sit at the front of the class to enhance focus and engagement with the material.
• 📖 Find textbooks online for free to save money and make studying more convenient.
• ⏰ Avoid early morning classes to ensure you're well-rested and ready to learn.
• 🔢 Maximize GPA by taking as many classes as your schedule allows, including lighter courses.
• 🎥 Benefit from recorded lectures for review and to supplement in-person learning.
• 🗂️ Use an assignment tracker to stay organized and manage deadlines effectively.
• 🤝 Form study groups with classmates to share knowledge and improve understanding.
• 🏫 Utilize school resources like academic advisors and tutors to support your success.
• 👩‍🏫 Get to know your professors and TAs to build relationships that can enhance your learning experience.
• 📝 Develop good study habits, such as active recall and spaced repetition, to improve retention.
• 🕒 Attend office hours to clarify doubts and strengthen your understanding of course material.
• 🧑‍🎓 Connect with upperclassmen for advice and insights on navigating your academic path.
• 🛠️ Create systems and routines to manage your time and responsibilities efficiently.
• ✅ Always complete your assignments, regardless of their weight in the final grade.
• 📝 Use an iPad and Apple Pencil for efficient and flexible note-taking.
• 🚫 Never cheat, as the consequences can be severe and detrimental to your academic career.
• ⏳ Request extensions if needed, as professors may be understanding and accommodating.
• 👀 Avoid procrastination by starting assignments early to ensure quality and reduce stress.
• 🎉 Take at least one enjoyable class per semester to maintain a balanced and fulfilling college experience.

Q & A

Why is attending class considered crucial in college?

Attending class is crucial because it provides the best learning environment. It allows students to absorb material directly from the professor, participate in discussions, and ask questions. Missing class can lead to gaps in understanding, and considering the cost of tuition, it's financially wasteful.

What are the benefits of sitting at the front of the class?

Sitting at the front of the class enhances the learning experience by allowing clearer hearing and visibility of the professor's explanations and board work. It also discourages distractions like reading Manga on a laptop and encourages active participation and attention.

Why should college students avoid buying textbooks and how can they find them for free?

Textbooks can be expensive and often not fully utilized. Students can find free alternatives by checking their school's library or searching online for PDF versions. This not only saves money but also makes studying more convenient as they can search through the text easily.

Why is it advised against enrolling in early morning classes?

Early morning classes can be challenging due to the demanding nature of college life, which often involves late-night studying and work. Waking up early for an 8 a.m. class can be difficult and may lead to reduced attention and absorption of material.

What is the strategy for maximizing GPA by managing course units?

Maximizing course units involves enrolling in as many classes as allowed per semester, including lighter or easier courses that can boost GPA without adding excessive workload. This strategy helps in achieving a higher GPA by efficiently utilizing available academic units.

How can recorded lectures benefit students during their studies?

Recorded lectures provide a valuable resource for reviewing material, especially for concepts that were not initially understood. They can be revisited to reinforce learning and help with exam preparation, ensuring no information is missed.

Why is it important to create an assignment tracker in college?

An assignment tracker helps students stay organized by consolidating all assignment deadlines in one place. This prevents missing deadlines and allows for better time management, ensuring that all academic responsibilities are met on time.

What role do study groups play in academic success in college?

Study groups facilitate collective learning, allowing students to share knowledge, discuss difficult concepts, and prepare for exams together. They enhance understanding and provide a support system, which can be crucial for success in challenging subjects.

How can utilizing school resources contribute to a student's academic success?

School resources such as academic advisors, tutors, and support offices provide essential support to help students succeed. They offer guidance, assistance with difficult subjects, and help with academic requirements, making the most out of the educational investment.

What is the significance of building relationships with professors and TAs in college?

Building relationships with professors and TAs can lead to better understanding of course material, feedback on assignments, and potentially more lenient grading. It also opens doors to advice and connections that can be beneficial beyond the classroom.

Why is it recommended to take at least one fun class per semester?

Taking a fun class per semester can provide a break from more demanding major courses, maintaining a balance in the academic experience. It allows students to explore interests outside their major and can contribute to overall well-being and enjoyment of the college experience.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Maximizing Academic Success in College

The speaker, a recent Stanford University graduate, shares 20 pieces of advice for college students to excel academically. The advice includes attending classes regularly, sitting at the front of the class for better engagement, finding free online textbooks, avoiding early morning classes due to the potential for reduced attention, and maximizing credit units per semester. The speaker emphasizes the importance of in-class participation and the financial aspect of attending classes, as well as the benefits of recorded lectures for review.

05:01

🗓 Staying Organized and Leveraging Resources

This paragraph focuses on the importance of organization and utilizing available resources in college. The speaker suggests creating an assignment tracker to manage deadlines and forming study groups with classmates to enhance understanding and preparation for exams. Additionally, the speaker highlights the underutilized academic support resources provided by schools, such as academic advisors and tutors, and the value of building relationships with professors and teaching assistants for academic guidance and potential leniency in grading.

10:02

🤓 Cultivating Effective Study Techniques and Habits

The speaker emphasizes building good study habits and attending office hours for personalized academic support. Active recall and spaced repetition are mentioned as effective study techniques, with active recall involving teaching concepts to another person to identify knowledge gaps. The speaker also advises against leaving assignments until the last minute and instead encourages starting early to avoid the stress and subpar work that often accompanies procrastination.

15:02

🚫 Ethical Considerations and Time Management

In this paragraph, the speaker strongly advises against cheating in college due to the severe consequences, which can include academic probation or expulsion. The speaker also suggests asking for extensions on assignments when needed, noting that professors may be more understanding and flexible than students might expect. Lastly, the importance of not procrastinating and the benefits of taking at least one enjoyable class per semester to maintain a balanced and enjoyable college experience are highlighted.

Keywords

💡Academically Lock In

The term 'academically lock in' implies achieving a high level of academic success and stability. In the context of the video, it refers to the goal of becoming exceptionally proficient in one's academic pursuits. An example from the script is the speaker sharing their advice to help viewers 'become academically goated with the sauce,' which means to excel academically and stand out.

💡Go to Class

The phrase 'go to class' is a fundamental piece of advice in the script, emphasizing the importance of attending lectures for effective learning. It is directly related to the video's theme of academic success, as the speaker insists that in-person attendance is crucial for absorbing material and getting the most out of the educational investment. The speaker uses the metaphor of wasted money to stress the point that missing classes equates to wasting tuition fees.

💡Front of Class

'Front of class' refers to the physical positioning of a student at the front of the lecture hall. The video suggests that sitting at the front can enhance learning by improving audibility and visibility, and it also serves as a psychological strategy to stay engaged and avoid distractions. The speaker admits their initial reluctance but acknowledges the benefits, such as clearer hearing and seeing, which aligns with the theme of optimizing academic performance.

💡Textbooks Online

The concept of 'textbooks online' is introduced as a cost-effective alternative to purchasing physical textbooks. It ties into the video's overarching message of smart academic strategies by advocating for free or low-cost access to educational materials. The speaker shares personal experiences and suggests online resources for downloading textbook PDFs, illustrating a practical tip for students to save money while still accessing necessary course content.

💡8 a.m. Classes

'8 a.m. Classes' is a specific type of class timing that the speaker advises against due to the potential negative impact on students' ability to concentrate and absorb information. This relates to the video's theme by addressing the importance of managing one's schedule to support effective learning. The speaker warns that the fatigue associated with early morning classes can lead to skipping or dozing off during lectures, which detracts from academic success.

💡Max Out Units

The phrase 'max out units' pertains to enrolling in the maximum number of classes or course credits allowed per semester. This strategy is presented as a way to potentially increase one's GPA by taking on a broader range of courses, including easier ones. The speaker recommends this as a 'secret hack' for achieving a high GPA, which is central to the video's theme of academic excellence.

💡Recorded Lectures

Recorded lectures are a feature that became more prevalent due to the pandemic and are highlighted in the video as a valuable study tool. They allow students to review material at their own pace, which is integral to the theme of self-directed learning and academic success. The speaker appreciates the ability to revisit lectures, emphasizing the benefits for exam preparation and understanding complex concepts.

💡Assignment Tracker

An 'assignment tracker' is a organizational tool used to keep track of all due dates and tasks across various classes. It is a key component of the video's message on staying organized and managing academic responsibilities efficiently. The speaker suggests creating a spreadsheet to consolidate assignment information, which helps prevent missing deadlines and promotes proactive planning.

💡Study Groups

The concept of 'study groups' involves collaborative learning with peers to enhance understanding and retention of course material. This is a central strategy in the video's theme of collective academic achievement. The speaker shares personal experiences where study groups were 'life-saving,' especially in challenging STEM courses, and emphasizes the benefits of shared knowledge and mutual support.

💡School Resources

The term 'school resources' encompasses the various support services provided by educational institutions to assist students in their academic journey. The speaker encourages viewers to utilize these resources, such as academic advisors and tutors, which aligns with the video's theme of maximizing available support for academic success. The message is to not hesitate to seek help and to leverage the resources included in the cost of tuition.

💡Professors and TAs

'Professors and TAs' refers to the academic staff responsible for teaching and grading students' work. Building relationships with them is a key piece of advice in the video, as it can lead to better understanding of course material, more lenient grading, and valuable academic connections. This advice is central to the video's theme of navigating the college environment to achieve academic success.

💡Study Habits

The phrase 'study habits' pertains to the routines and techniques students use to learn and retain information. The speaker underscores the importance of developing good study habits for academic success, mentioning 'active recall' and 'space repetition' as effective methods. This ties into the video's theme by advocating for proactive and efficient studying strategies that lead to better grades.

💡Office Hours

Office hours are designated times when professors are available to meet with students outside of class to discuss course material or address concerns. The speaker in the video encourages taking advantage of office hours to gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter, which is a key strategy for academic success. It is presented as an opportunity to clarify doubts and build rapport with professors.

💡Upper Classman

The term 'upper classman' refers to students in higher grade levels, particularly those who are further along in the same major. The video advises getting to know upper classmen to gain insights and advice based on their experiences. This is a strategy for avoiding pitfalls and making informed decisions about courses and opportunities, which is integral to the video's theme of strategic academic planning.

💡Systems and Routines

Systems and routines are organizational practices that help manage time and tasks efficiently. The speaker in the video highlights the importance of establishing such practices to cope with the overwhelming nature of college life. This includes maintaining consistent sleep schedules, dedicating time for specific activities, and keeping track of assignments, all of which contribute to the video's theme of effective academic management.

💡Assignments

The term 'assignments' encompasses all the tasks and projects that students are required to complete as part of their coursework. The video strongly advises against neglecting any assignment, regardless of its weight in the overall grade. This underscores the video's theme of taking all academic responsibilities seriously and the potential impact of small contributions to the final grade.

💡iPad and Apple Pencil

The mention of 'iPad and Apple Pencil' in the video refers to the use of technology for note-taking, which can combine the benefits of handwriting and typing. The speaker suggests that using an iPad for note-taking can enhance the learning process by allowing for easy storage, searchability, and the inclusion of diagrams. This aligns with the video's theme of leveraging tools for improved academic performance.

💡Cheating

The concept of 'cheating' is presented as a serious academic offense in the video, with severe consequences such as academic probation or expulsion. The speaker warns against resorting to dishonest methods to complete assignments or exams, emphasizing the importance of integrity in the pursuit of academic success. This ties into the video's overarching message of achieving through legitimate and ethical means.

💡Extensions

The term 'extensions' refers to requesting additional time from professors to complete assignments beyond the original deadline. The video advises students to ask for extensions when needed, highlighting that professors may be understanding and accommodating. This is part of the video's theme of proactive academic management and the importance of communication with academic staff.

💡Last Minute

The phrase 'last minute' is used in the video to describe the habit of postponing work until the deadline is imminent. The speaker advises against this practice, explaining that it can lead to subpar work or missed deadlines. This aligns with the video's theme of avoiding procrastination and the importance of early and consistent effort in academic tasks.

💡Fun Class

'Fun class' refers to an elective course taken for enjoyment rather than purely academic or career-related reasons. The video suggests taking at least one such class per semester to provide a break from more rigorous coursework. This is part of the video's theme of balancing academic rigor with personal interests and well-being, emphasizing the importance of enjoying the college experience.

Highlights

Go to class as much as possible for the best learning experience and to avoid wasting tuition money.

Sit at the front of the class to maximize engagement and minimize distractions.

Find textbooks online for free to save money and make reading more convenient.

Avoid 8 a.m. classes to ensure you are well-rested and ready to learn.

Max out your units every semester to potentially increase your GPA.

Take advantage of recorded lectures for review and to supplement in-person learning.

Create an assignment tracker to stay organized and meet all deadlines.

Form study groups with classmates to share knowledge and improve understanding.

Utilize school resources like academic advisors and tutors to get extra help.

Build relationships with professors and TAs to enhance learning and potentially influence grading.

Develop good study habits, such as active recall and space repetition, for better retention.

Attend office hours to get personalized help from professors on difficult topics.

Get to know upperclassmen in your major for advice and guidance.

Create systems and routines to manage school, work, and life more effectively.

Complete all assignments, regardless of the percentage they contribute to your grade.

Use an iPad and Apple Pencil for efficient and versatile note-taking.

Never cheat in college as the consequences can be severe and damaging.

Ask for extensions before the deadline if you need more time to complete an assignment.

Avoid procrastination by starting assignments early and submitting them before the due date.

Take at least one fun class per semester to maintain balance and enjoyment in your studies.

Transcripts

if you're a college student that's

looking to academically lock in then

you've come to the right place I just

graduated from Stanford University this

past year and I've made a lot of

mistakes over my time here so that you

don't have to after four years of trials

and tribulations here are 20 pieces of

advice to help you become academically

goated with the sauce number one go to

class if I could go back and tell

freshman year lck one thing this is what

it would be go to class I know it sounds

really simple and really obvious but I

cannot stress this enough go to class

as much as I've tried and trust me I've

really tried my hardest you simply

cannot do your best learning without

going to class in person trying to

absorb as much material and decipher

whatever hieroglyphics are on your

profession slides that they've posted

online can only take you so far not to

mention you're paying for college anyway

so not going to class kind of feels like

you're just wasting your money think of

it this way if you divide out your

tuition by the number of classes you

have each missed class is at least

hundreds of dollars just wasted as much

as it stinks to have to wake up early

and go to class I cannot emphasize this

enough if you want to do well in college

you have to go to class number two sit

at the front of Class A Secret hack that

I've used to maximize what I get out of

my college lectures is sitting in the

front row of the room back when I was in

school I was the kind of person that

always headed straight for the back row

of the classroom in my mind the people

who sat in the front rows were just try

hards as much as I hate sitting in the

front I admit that it has its benefits

on top of just feeling like an absolute

academic weapon you can hear the

professor more clearly you can see the

board more clearly somehow it's a lot

easier to understand the material just

by sitting at the front of class and

since I know there are people behind me

I'm less inclined to Read Manga on my

laptop and instead actually pay

attention to the class and since the

professor can see me since I'm right

there I'm not just going to fall asleep

instead I'm going to pay attention and

maybe even participate so although I

didn't do this as much as I wanted and

as much as I probably should have you

definitely should be sitting in the

front of class number three find your

textbooks online stop paying for your

textbooks those those things are like

hundreds of dollars and you probably

won't use them the second the class ends

sometimes you won't even really use them

during the actual class itself I made

the mistake of buying some textbooks in

my freshman year that I barely even used

for those classes to be honest I think

it's kind of a scam that colleges make

you pay for textbooks when they could

probably just give them to you for free

that's why you should try to get your

textbooks for free whenever and wherever

you can sometimes they'll be available

at your school's library in which case

you're really lucky but sometimes you're

just going to have to sale the 7even c's

for them I can't really give you exact

links but there are definitely we sites

online where you can download PDFs of

your textbooks online for absolutely

free it also makes reading through them

a whole lot easier because you can just

search through the text with control

left not to mention this means you also

won't have to carry around a bunch of

textbooks in your backpack so your back

will definitely be thanking you number

four don't enroll in 8 a.m. classes no

matter how strong you think you are I

promise you you are not strong enough

never and I mean never take 8 or 9:00

a.m. classes I know it may not seem that

bad coming out of high school where you

were waking up at 6:00 or 7:00 a.m.

every day but College is a different

Beast you're going to be working a lot

harder and you're going to be staying up

a lot later than you ever did in high

school and as a result you're going to

be a lot more tired waking up for an 8:

a.m. lecture on the complete opposite

side of Campus is going to be the last

thing you want to do you might even

start having thoughts of just skipping

that class which is a very slippery

slope that you don't want to fall into

and even if you do end up going you may

not be awake enough to actually absorb

any of the material as you're fighting

for your life to just stay awake so it's

a lose lose situation if you can do

yourself a favor and try take that class

later in the day if it's offered number

five max out your units every semester

this is my secret hack for getting as

high of a GPA as possible in college

just take as many classes as you can

every semester but I want to be clear

that this doesn't mean you have to fit

as many graduate level engineering

classes as you can into your schedule in

any case a lot of schools have caps on

how many academic units a student can

take per semester so what you can do is

just enroll in all the classes that you

need to First maybe take a couple

classes for your major while making sure

that the workload isn't going to kill

you and if you f that you have a couple

units to spare and no more classes that

fit in your major or account for general

education requirements you can just fill

them in with random one or two unit

classes these classes tend to be a lot

easier and in some cases don't actually

have much work for you to do at all what

I used to do was take units for the

research work I was already doing in my

lab it's a super easy a which means a

boost for your GPA without that much

extra work so if you can fit it into

your schedule and your academic workload

isn't too bad already load up on as many

units as you can number six take classes

that have their lectures recorded the

pandemic did a lot of irreparable damage

to society but one thing it did give us

was recorded lectures having recordings

of your classes is so nice I'm not

saying this so that you can skip

attending your classes in person but

it's really more so to supplement it

after your in-person lectures you can go

back and watch the recordings to review

anything you didn't catch the first time

around and this is really helpful for

when you're trying to study for your

exams and couldn't remember what that

thing your professor said in class was

since you forgot to write it down and

sometimes you just have to hear

something multiple times before you

understand not to mention that there's

the added benefit that if you do end up

missing a class for whatever reason you

can still watch its recording without

missing too much to be honest recorded

lectures saved my degree there

definitely is a lot of benefit from

having in-person classes and not

everything translates well to online

learning but I really wish all of my

classes could have been recorded number

seven make an assignment tracker it's so

easy to get this organized in college so

don't let this be you once you get the

syllabi for your classes on your first

day make a spreadsheet where you

organize all your assignments for all

your classes so that you can keep track

of all your deadlines in one single

place most schools use some kind of

platform like Canvas OR Blackboard for

this kind of thing but not all your

classes are going to be making good use

of it and sometimes they only put their

assignments on the syllabus meaning it's

going to be up to you to be on top of

things having your own assignment

tracker in the form of a spreadsheet

really makes up for that I personally

use notion but you can really use

anything that has a similar function I

even have some friends who straight up

just used an Excel sheet you can also

break down your assignments into smaller

chunks like finishing one problem of

your homework one day and another

problem the next day that way you can

spread out your assignments so that you

aren't scrambling to finish everything

the night it's due number eight form

groups with your classmates to study

together this is the thing that saved my

life in all of my stem classes my math

classes my biology classes my chemistry

classes especially and it's very

possible that I would have failed

without it form study groups with your

classmates so that you guys can work on

assignments together and then also

review for exams together no single

student is going to have mastered all

the material except for the kids blessed

by God who are just truly cracked so by

pulling together your knowledge

collectively you guys all come out in a

better place for some of my classes we

had huge Zoom meetings with dozens of

students where everyone just asked and

answered each other's questions this

kind of thing can also be really

effective for doing something like

having a shared notes document that

everyone contributes to so that during

lectures you can see in real time how

other students are understanding the

material and you can Aid each other's

understanding study groups are very

goated there's really no reason to go

through your classes all by yourself if

everyone can come out ahead by working

together number nine use your school

resources this is an underrated tip that

not a lot of students take advantage of

so don't let this be you you have to

remember that your school does not want

you to fail even if it may seem like

that sometimes your school is going to

have so many academic support resources

to help you succeed you have your

academic advisors you have University

tutors you have entire offices dedicated

to just helping students succeed they're

also going to have all sorts of

resources dedicated to giving you the

extra help you need just to pass your

classes and as you may know college is

ridiculously expensive so you should

definitely be taking advantage of the

resources that you're paying for so many

students go through all four years of

college without ever visiting their

tutor Center even though they could have

benefited a lot from it there is no

shame in asking for help and that's

something that a lot of people have

trouble grappling with especially if

you're going to a top university where

most kids were used to being the

smartest kid around and never needing

any help but it's okay if you're

struggling in Cal 3 or you're having

trouble writing your paper in apa format

there's going to be some resource that

can be of help to you it's just a matter

of you going out there and making use of

those resources number 10 get to know

your professors and Tas if I could pick

one piece of advice for succeeding in

college this is what it would be build

relationships with your professors and

Tas these are the people who are

responsible for your learning they're

there to help you not hurt you by

getting to know your professors and Tas

you can ask them questions about things

you're not understanding in class or get

feedback on an assignment if you know

what they're looking for and what they

expect from you you can focus on making

sure that you have those things down and

Tas are usually responsible for grading

your work not the professors so having a

good relationship with them can make

them a little bit more lenient with you

and more will to accommodate you should

something come up getting them to bump

you up a few points could be the

difference between a B+ and an A minus

I'd say that the real value of college

is in the relationships and connections

you get out of it and your professors

are literally experts in their fields

getting on their good side by having

them actually know who you are can

definitely go a long way and they can

offer a lot of advice to help you even

beyond that class number 11 build good

study habits it's not a surprise that

studying better will lead to better

grades the challenge is that not

everyone knows how to study properly

especially if you were able to to just

cruise by in high school without having

to put in that much work it's true that

some people are just going to be

naturally quicker at understanding

things than others but eventually

everyone is going to hit a wall at some

point and that's why it's so important

to have good study habits there are a

lot of great ways to go about this but

the best one and the one that I swear by

is active recall there are a couple

different types of this but one kind of

active recall that I really like is the

findan technique where you're pretending

like you're trying to teach the concepts

to another person this technique helps

you realize which topics you remember

and understand well enough to be able to

teach another person person as well as

which topics you aren't as clear on

Space repetition is also good for this

so that you can prevent yourself from

forgetting the things that you just

learned there's more to studying

techniques than just active recall and

space repetition so let me know in the

comments if you'd like a more in-depth

explanation of the best study methods

number 12 go to office hours do you

struggle to understand what's going on

in your classes whether it's because the

professor is speaking 100 miles an hour

or because you just couldn't wrap your

head around the concept the first time

around lucky for you there's this thing

called office hours your professors will

have designated times outside of lecture

where they have an entire block

dedicated to just helping out their

students and this could really be for

anything if you had a question about

something that came up in lecture or

you're having trouble understanding how

to approach a question on your homework

or you just want to review the concepts

coming up on the next exam your

professor is there to help hold your

hand and guide you to a better

understanding the most successful

students I know are the kind of people

who basically live in office hours so

clearly something's working right for

them sometimes you might have scheduling

conflicts that keep you from going to

office hours and in those cases you can

ask your professors and they'll usually

be willing to help you find alternative

times so don't be shy and go to office

hours number 13 get to know upper

classman in your major this is another

hack I like to use to get ahead in

school the best way to figure out what

path to take and avoid making life

altering mistakes is by asking people

who have already been in your shoes your

upper classmen are people who have

already gone through all the things that

you're going through they already know

what classes to take what professors to

avoid which programs and opportunities

are worth applying to so it would be

really beneficial to tap into their

wisdom you don't have to go through

college blindly if there are footsteps

that you can follow in you could ask

them for help in understanding a

difficult topic for one of your classes

you could get advice on your course of

study things like that half of the

classes I ended up taking at Stanford

were at the recommendation of other

people who had already taken those

classes and really liked it you could

also get advice on more General things

like internship or job opportunities or

maybe even ask them for a referral and I

think it's just really helpful in

general to have some sort of role model

figure in college so I'd really

recommend trying to befriend your upper

classman especially those that are in

your major number four 14 create systems

and routines College can be really

overwhelming you have to juggle school

work life people and a million other

things so it can be really easy to get

lost which is why it's important to have

good systems and routines in place for

example making sure you go to bed and

wake up at a similar time every day

blocking out certain hours of the day

that you dedicate just to going to

classes or just going to the gym or just

hanging out with friends creating

templates for writing cover letters and

emails keeping all your notes and files

organized really anything you can do to

streamline your workflow one thing thing

that I did that was really helpful was

create a notion page that contained

everything related to school this is

where I could keep track of classes and

all my assignments another thing that

helped me was setting recurring events

on my Google Calendar where I would

block out time during the day to getting

certain things done there's definitely a

lot that you have to keep track of but

by putting systems and routines in place

to help you it becomes a lot easier to

manage everything number 15 do all of

your assignments there's some really

bogus College advice out there on the

internet and my goal is to be the exact

opposite of that one article I read was

a compilation of advice from graduating

college seniors and one piece of advice

said that if your homework is worth 10%

of your grade or less you don't need to

do it and can still get a good grade

without doing your homework this is

absolutely ridiculous to me it is truly

mindboggling I'll be the first to say

but you should absolutely do your

homework even if it's worth 2% of your

grade you never know what'll happen on

your exams and it is never worth taking

the risk can you imagine if that 2% was

the difference between a whole letter

grade don't even get me started on a

whole 10% difference you should never

gamble with your grade do everything

that is required for your even if it's

not worth that much on its own

everything adds up and you really want

to put your best foot forward number 16

use an iPad and apple pencil for elite

note taking there's been a long-standing

debate on what the best way to take

notes is some people advocate for taking

handwritten notes While others say

typing notes is better not to be an

apple elitist or anything but taking

notes on an iPad is low-key goed you can

get the benefits of hand ready notes and

the memory boost you get from the action

of actually writing those notes but you

also get the benefits from taking type

notes in that it's easier to store them

them and then you can search through

them a lot easier with contr f taking

notes on an iPad especially shines when

you want to draw diagrams or move things

around on the page which is a lot harder

to do with either paper or type notes

and I know that buying into the whole

Apple ecosystem can be really expensive

but you could also go for a refurbish

one or maybe even try out some of the

Android Brands you might also find that

often times colleges will have loner

programs where you can rent out an iPad

for the semester or something to that

effect it's a total game changer for

taking notes so I really recommend it

number 17 don't don't cheat it should be

obvious enough but do not cheat in

college they really don't take that

stuff lightly whether it's using check

to find answers for your physics problem

set or using an AI to write your English

essay colleges will punish you so

severely for that if it's not academic

probation it might just be expulsion I

don't remember the exact school but I

remember in high school going on a tour

where the guide said that the only three

ways a student could get expelled from

that school was killing someone burning

down a building or cheating so that just

goes to show how serious it really is I

know that college can be really hard and

that sometimes it's just so tempting to

look up the answers when it's 400 in the

morning and you just really want to go

to sleep or it's 10 minutes before your

essay is due and it would be so easy to

use AI to write the last two pages of it

but I promise you it will never be worth

it to cheat maybe you can get away with

it without being found out but if you do

get caught it is over for you number 18

ask for extensions before the deadline

this is one piece of advice you'll want

to remember for the next time you find

yourself with 5 minutes before your

assignment is due this is something that

I didn't realize I could do until

halfway through college but you you can

literally just ask your professors for

an extension sometimes you might want to

give an excuse like having other

assignments that you were swamped with

or maybe being sick but sometimes you

don't even need to do that you can just

ask your professors for more time and

they might just give it to you something

I've come to learn throughout my time in

college is that it's really not that

deep and your college professors aren't

always going to be so pedantic and they

won't care if you take extra time on an

assignment sometimes I'll just ask for

an extra 24 or 48 hours and they'll just

give it to me without any questions

asked but I will warn that this is more

likely to work with a Humanities

Professor than with a stem professor but

in any case it will not hurt to try so

just ask for an extension number 19

don't leave your assignments until the

last minute this is one mistake that you

have to avoid in college if this is a

habit that you already have right now

you need to get rid of it as soon as

possible please don't leave your

assignments until the very last minute I

know it can be really fun to see how

long you can procrastinate on your work

and use the adrenaline rush to finish it

in the 11th Hour sometimes you can get

by with this other times you end up

submitting a half finished assignment or

not submitting anything at all in either

case it often isn't going to be your

best work so please give yourself time

to work on your assignments and aim to

submit at least a day before the actual

due date the worst thing that could

happen is you're about to submit an

assignment at 11:57 p.m. and you find

out that the due date was actually for

5:00 p.m. this has unfortunately

happened to me on multiple occasions so

don't let this be you I love

procrastinating more than anyone else

but I have to urge you to start early

number 20 take at least one fun class

per semester this is the one thing that

kept me San throughout my four years at

Stanford unless you're absolutely in

love with your major you're going to

have to take quite a few classes class

that you actually don't really like that

much whether because you find the

material uninteresting or because the

classes suck the life out of you so to

give yourself at least a little bit of a

reprieve I would recommend taking at

least one fun class per semester bonus

points if the class can count towards

some other requirement like a general

education requirement or as a major

elective a lot of my favorite classes at

Stanford were ones that had nothing to

do with my major I took classes in three

different languages at Stanford and I

really enjoyed the classes for two of

them I also had friends who took classes

on DJing anime batmon when else are you

going to be able to take classes on such

random and interesting topics if you

find that you have leftover units after

signing up for all your boring major

classes why not take a fun class so in

short college is really hard but you can

make things a lot easier and more

enjoyable for yourself and if you have

anything else you're curious about or

want more advice on be sure to like And

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