Blog #3: What I've Learned

The person I am today is much different from the person I was when I came into college as a freshman in August of 2017. I've learned a lot about myself, grown as a person, and experienced a lot of new things in just a few short years. Not only have I grown as person, but I believe I've grown as a student as well. And a lot of that comes from trial and error, finding out what works best for me, and what I can do now that will be the most beneficial for me in the future. Basically what are the best investments to make in myself, my education, and life in general.

After reading "Secrets of the Most Successful College Students" by Annie Murphy Paul , I can certainly think of my own pieces of advice to add on to examples she provided. Skills, behaviors, and ways I have learned over the years that work for me and they may work for you too.

First. STUDY and TAKE NOTES. When I began college I honestly had no idea how to properly take notes or how to sit down and truly study in a way that would help me be successful. It has taken quite some time for me to learn these two skills and get them down, now that I have my grades definitely show for it. In order to study well you need to figure out what works for you. Solo or in a group. At home or at a coffee shop. All of this makes a difference. Take some time every week for each class to just study and absorb the information that way you will actually retain it for a test. In order to take notes properly you must first go to class. Just being in every class and being present for the lecture or participating in the discussion really does help and make a huge difference in how well you will learn the material. Go to class, take notes, and be PRESENT. 

Second. SELF CARE. Find some time, maybe just once a week if your free time is minimal, to do something that you find relaxing or that makes you happy. Take a walk at the beach, lay down and watch a TV show you love, or go get a facial, anything that will help you unwind. Maybe for you, self-care is just getting enough sleep at night or eating a healthy meal. Whatever it takes to feel less burnt out. For me, I have a hard time turning my brain off at night, so I practice a nightly routine to get myself tired and ready for bed. I do my skin care routine, have some tea or a stress relief/calming supplement, and I put my phone down. If you take this time for yourself I truly belief you will feel much better and be able to get more done much more efficiently. 

Finally. Find something you LOVE. College classes are much more rewarding if you are truly interested in what you are learning. Find something you really care about learning and take more classes on it. I began as just a Psychology major and am now double majoring in Women Studies because I fell in love with the courses and professors at SDSU who teach women studies. My values and passions are what motivate me in college, along with my drive to be successful. Most importantly take your passion outside of the classroom. Look for volunteer opportunities or internships that relate and connect you to the career field you wish to enter. This will help you gain experience and looks very good on a resume. 

Comments

  1. Michelle E NaranjoFebruary 4, 2020 at 10:40 AM

    Hi Holly,
    I loved your blog. I truly agree with you, if you wanted to do good in life you have to take care of yourself first, so in that way you would be able to accomplish many activities efficiently. Having six to eight hours sleep is very important for me, if I do not sleep my hours I will be struggling the next day. Sometimes we forget about our health and worry more about material things, I believe that life is a balance. Just be organize and persistent and you will do good in life. Great post, thank you for sharing.

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  2. Leslie A.CFebruary 7, 2020 at 11:31 AM

    Hi Holly,

    First paragraph, nothing but realness! I really like how you express the changes you have gone through since August 2017. Not only have you learned academically, but you have learned about yourself, that, your growth and experiences, must really show today. I think it’s great that after reading this article you came to see that you could add to the advice given, you didn’t completely disregard it. I also like how you said you were sharing advice that might also work for us (your audience). We stated it in different ways, but we all know that everyone learns in different ways, and how at the end of the day it is the individual who decides whether they take the advice or not. It might work for them, it might not. You kept it both educational & personal. By this I mean you gave the advice of studying and taking notes, but also how to care for yourself. It is hard throughout the way, but having a routine definitely helps! Do you think that you would have given yourself the same 3 pieces of advice you did (Study/notes;selfcare; finding something you love) back in 2017 as a priority? Or do you believe you have those comments because you have actually lived the college life?

    Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ashley NewmanFebruary 7, 2020 at 4:55 PM

    Hi Holly! Looking back on my freshman year, I have also changed so much and I think most people mature so much their first year of college. I chose to go to community college first and I am so glad I did cause I was a literal mess and had no idea what I was doing. I was a good student in high school, but my first semester was the worst I had ever done academically, but I've really been able to figure out what works and what doesn't and my grades have improved so much. I love that you mention self-care because I feel like so many people disregard this and forget that it's important to take care of our bodies and mind emotionally. Also, school is definitely easier when you're learning about something that interests you. I'm a finance major and most people find it boring, but this semester was my first time taking actual finance classes and I feel like I'm doing a lot better in my classes and retaining more of the information because I actually care about this stuff. Thanks so much for sharing!

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