Top Study Tips for the College Transition | CollegeXpress
Illustration of a woman wearing headphones sitting on blanket writing notes

Video: Top Study Tips

Ready for college academics? In this video, Joe offers tips on handwriting notes, joining study groups, and finding the perfect study environment.

A big difference between high school and college is the studying aspect. In college, there is a lot more independence, which means there is not always going to be someone to tell you how and when to study. Studying takes a lot of patience and practice, but Joe answers three common questions to get you started. Check out the video below!

How do you take notes? (1:08)

A study conducted by Mueller and Oppenheimer found that students retain information better when they write their notes by hand (2014). Whether or not you decide to type or write your notes is up to you; it may vary depending on the class.

Study groups: What and why? (2:45)

Find a study buddy in each of your classes or join a study group. Being a part of a study group makes it easier to figure things out because you have more brainpower! It also allows you to compare notes in case you missed out on a detail. Some people would rather keep to themselves during lectures, but making at least one friend in class who can give you notes on a day you miss is super helpful.

What are some other tips and tricks? (3:45)

  1. Switch up where you study: The library, your dorm room, a café, or even outside on a nice day.
  2. When you should study: Not the night before an exam! Your grades in college are usually based on a small amount of assignments, so start studying or completing assignments in advance.
  3. Don’t be hard on yourself: Studying is a skill that takes practice, so be patient if it takes you a little while to test trial-and-error methods that work best for you!

Do you have other study tips up your sleeve that you didn't see in this video? Let us know! Subscribe now if you want lots of college help on the regular, and be sure to let us know what you'd like to see by leaving a comment.

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

About CollegeXpress

CollegeXpress

Welcome to CollegeXpress, your one-stop college shop! We’re a free college planning website used by millions of college-bound students, parents, and counselors—anyone who needs help navigating the college search and application process, financial aid opportunities, and more. 

You’ll find comprehensive College Search and Scholarship Search tools, tons of articles and expert advice, unique college Lists & Rankings, and lots of other resources to help make your life easier. Teen Vogue even named us one of the 7 Best College Search Websites!

Current college students and recent grads also love CollegeXpress for our Graduate Program Search tool and endless information on student life, internships, and beyond. We really have something for everyone, no matter where you are in your college journey.

Create a free CollegeXpress account to start connecting with colleges, winning scholarships, and simplifying your life as a student!

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information.
Swipe left if you're not interested.

Toccoa Falls College

Toccoa Falls, GA


Heaven Johnson

Heaven Johnson

Back to School Scholarship Winner, High School Class of 2023

I’d like to thank everyone on the CollegeXpress team for their generosity. Not only have I been awarded this scholarship, but CollegeXpress makes it easier to apply and gives amazing tips for schools and scholarships. I am extremely grateful as this will help with my schooling and allow me to be able to enter into the field I’ve been dreaming of all my life. 

Sierra Carranza

Sierra Carranza

High School Class of 2022

I had absolutely no idea where I wanted to go to school; I was considering colleges in almost every state. CollegeXpress was an amazing resource and helped me compare all of my top schools. Without the help of CollegeXpress, I probably wouldn't have made such an informed and confident decision.

Keydi Banegas

Keydi Banegas

Scholarship for Students of Color Winner, Class of 2022

CollegeXpress is a great application that helped me search for many different scholarships, and it narrows the scholarships depending on how you set your profile. Not only that, but it helps you choose different colleges to apply to by finding matches through the description of your profile. It was the best experience for me.

Ariyane

Ariyane

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress really helped me by letting me know the colleges ratings and placements. They gave me accurate information on my colleges tuition rates and acceptance. They even let me know the ration between students and faculty and the diversity of the college. Overall they told me everything I needed and things I didnt even think I needed to know about my college and other colleges I applied for.

Mataya Mann

Mataya Mann

High School Class of 2022

To say that CollegeXpress is a helpful tool would be an understatement as it is much more than that. Before finding CollegeXpress, all I knew was that I wanted to go to college, it was going to be insanely expensive, and I felt lost. CollegeXpress has given me access to resources such as helpful tips for applications and scholarship [opportunities], and helped guide me in a direction where I feel confident moving forward and pursuing a career. CollegeXpress has helped instill a spark in me that makes me want to continue and supports me in doing so.